Benjamin Foster Division of Amchem Products, List of Asbestos-Containing Adhesives, Mastics, Sealants and Coatings, with Product Literature (1943–1975)

A 113-page compilation on the insulation adhesives, mastics, sealants and coatings of the Benjamin Foster Company of Philadelphia, later the Foster Division of Amchem Products, Inc. It opens with a typed 12-page list of products "which contained small amounts of encapsulated asbestos" that "may have been used in the construction industry," with product numbers and, for many, an approximate month and year of design from 1941 to 1973: adhesives such as Fibrous Adhesive 81-27, mastics such as Sealfas, C.I. Mastic and H.I. Mastic, sealants and Lagtone coatings. The rest is Foster product data sheets, can labels, application guides, fire-resistance certificates and older sales folders, including a June 1943 exhibit of "Foster I.B.M. Fire Retardant Marine Products."

What it shows

The older literature shows Foster products made for asbestos insulation: a sales sheet recommends Fibrous Adhesive 81-27 "for laminating magnesia or Amosite and for cementing asbestos cloth over insulation," a 1940s folder of marine products lists adhesive cements to Navy specifications for woven asbestos pipe lagging and asbestos cellular board, and another sheet describes I.B.M. Asbestos Furnace Cement. The 1970s data sheets give flame-spread ratings tested on asbestos-cement board and warnings about solvent vapors, but the pages seen do not warn about asbestos. See Thermal System Insulation (TSI) and Navy Veterans.

About this copy

The product list is undated; its typing code (0853G) and wording suggest it was prepared later, probably for litigation. Some printed pieces carry dates from 1943 to 1975 (forms dated 11/73, 2/75, 6/75, 8/75). Many pages are poor photocopies.