Owens-Illinois Inc. (Kaylo Era): Asbestos Products, Occupational Exposure, and Trust Fund Information

Owens-Illinois Inc. manufactured and sold Kaylo high-temperature asbestos pipe insulation from 1948 to 1958, making the company one of the earliest and most consequential defendants in the history of asbestos litigation in the United States. Internal corporate correspondence uncovered during landmark asbestos cases established that Owens-Illinois had documented knowledge of the health hazards associated with asbestos-containing Kaylo products during the years those products were actively marketed and sold. Workers who handled Kaylo pipe covering or block insulation during that decade — and in the years following, when Kaylo remained in service throughout American industry — may have sustained significant asbestos exposure. An active asbestos personal injury trust exists to compensate eligible claimants.

Company History

Owens-Illinois was incorporated in 1929 through the merger of the Owens Bottle Company and the Illinois Glass Company, both established glassmakers. The combined company grew into one of the largest manufacturers of glass containers in the world, but it also diversified into industrial insulation products during the post-World War II manufacturing boom.

In 1948, Owens-Illinois introduced Kaylo, a high-temperature calcium silicate insulation product that contained chrysotile asbestos as a primary component. The product was engineered for use on hot pipes, boilers, and equipment operating at elevated temperatures — conditions common in power generation, petrochemical refining, shipbuilding, and heavy manufacturing. Kaylo was marketed as thermally superior to competing insulation materials and was sold aggressively to industrial contractors and facilities managers throughout the late 1940s and 1950s.

What distinguished Owens-Illinois from many other asbestos product manufacturers in subsequent litigation was the emergence of internal corporate documents — memoranda, test reports, and correspondence dating to the early Kaylo years — that showed company officials were aware of the respiratory hazards posed by asbestos fiber release during the product’s use. These documents became central exhibits in foundational asbestos cases and contributed significantly to the legal and scientific record establishing manufacturer liability across the industry.

In 1958, Owens-Illinois made the decision to exit the insulation business and sold the Kaylo product line to Owens Corning Fiberglas Corporation. Owens Corning continued manufacturing Kaylo — reformulating the product in later years — but Owens-Illinois retained legal responsibility for injuries arising from the Kaylo it produced between 1948 and 1958. The two companies, while sharing a partial name, are legally distinct entities with separate asbestos trust funds.

Asbestos-Containing Products

Kaylo High-Temperature Pipe Insulation (1948–1958)

Kaylo pipe insulation was Owens-Illinois’s primary asbestos-containing product during the Kaylo era. Manufactured as a calcium silicate composite reinforced with chrysotile asbestos fiber, Kaylo pipe covering was produced in half-round and full-round sections designed to fit standard pipe diameters. The product was rated for continuous service at temperatures up to 1,200°F, making it attractive for steam lines, process piping, and high-pressure systems in industrial and marine environments.

Kaylo pipe insulation was sold and distributed nationally through insulation contractors and industrial supply channels. It appeared on job sites across the power generation, chemical processing, petroleum refining, shipbuilding, and construction industries throughout the decade of Owens-Illinois’s manufacture.

Kaylo Block Insulation (1948–1958)

Kaylo block insulation was produced in flat and curved sections for application to boilers, tanks, vessels, and flat surfaces requiring high-temperature thermal protection. Like the pipe covering, Kaylo block contained chrysotile asbestos as a structural and thermal component. Block insulation was applied, cut, and shaped on site, generating asbestos-containing dust during installation and any subsequent repair or removal work.

Fiber Release and Hazard Profile

Both Kaylo pipe covering and block insulation released respirable asbestos fibers during normal application activities, including cutting sections to length with saws or knives, breaking block to fit irregular surfaces, and finishing installed sections with asbestos-containing cement or canvas jacketing. Maintenance and removal of aged or damaged Kaylo also generated fiber release. Because asbestos-related diseases have latency periods commonly measured in decades, workers exposed to Kaylo in the 1948–1958 period, or to Kaylo that remained installed in industrial facilities for years afterward, may be receiving diagnoses today.

Occupational Exposure

Workers in the following trades and industries face documented risk of Kaylo-related asbestos exposure:

Pipe Coverers and Insulation Workers (Insulators) Insulators who applied Kaylo pipe covering and block insulation on new construction or during facility shutdowns experienced direct, sustained contact with the product. Cutting, fitting, and finishing Kaylo sections were among the dustiest tasks on industrial job sites.

Boilermakers and Pipefitters Boilermakers and pipefitters who worked adjacent to insulation application, or who removed and replaced Kaylo during equipment maintenance and repair, could receive significant bystander exposure even when they were not directly handling the product.

Shipyard Workers Kaylo was used extensively in naval and commercial shipyard construction during the 1950s. Ships built or overhauled with Kaylo-insulated steam and hot-water systems exposed engine room workers, machinists, welders, and general shipyard labor to asbestos fibers in poorly ventilated below-deck spaces.

Power Plant Workers Steam-generating power plants, both utility and industrial, used Kaylo on turbine steam lines, boiler feedwater systems, and high-temperature process piping. Maintenance workers, operating engineers, and contractors performing periodic overhauls in these facilities were regularly exposed.

Petrochemical and Refinery Workers Petroleum refineries and chemical processing plants relied on high-temperature insulation throughout their piping systems. Workers employed at facilities where Kaylo was installed — including those who performed turnaround maintenance work years after the original installation — may have disturbed aged Kaylo and released asbestos fibers.

Construction Trades General construction workers, laborers, and tradespeople working in proximity to insulation installation on commercial and industrial building projects during the Kaylo era may have sustained exposure without direct handling of the product.

Because Kaylo installed between 1948 and 1958 remained in service in facilities throughout subsequent decades, exposure risk extended well beyond the period of Owens-Illinois’s manufacture. Workers who entered facilities in the 1960s, 1970s, or later and disturbed aging Kaylo insulation during maintenance or renovation may have been exposed to Owens-Illinois–era product.

Owens-Illinois Asbestos Personal Injury Trust

Owens-Illinois established an asbestos personal injury trust to compensate individuals who developed asbestos-related diseases as a result of exposure to Owens-Illinois products, including Kaylo pipe covering and block insulation manufactured between 1948 and 1958. The trust processes claims from individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and other covered asbestos-related conditions.

To file a claim with the Owens-Illinois trust, claimants or their legal representatives must generally document the following:

  • Diagnosis: Medical records confirming an asbestos-related disease, typically mesothelioma, lung cancer with asbestos exposure history, asbestosis, or another qualifying condition as defined by the trust’s disease criteria.
  • Product exposure: Evidence establishing that the claimant was exposed to Owens-Illinois Kaylo products. This may include employment records, union records, co-worker affidavits, facility maintenance logs, or other documentation placing the claimant at a site where Kaylo was in use during the 1948–1958 manufacturing period or during subsequent service of that product.
  • Exposure timeframe: Documentation supporting that exposure occurred during the period covered by the trust — generally, contact with Kaylo manufactured by Owens-Illinois before the 1958 sale to Owens Corning.

Important Distinction: Owens-Illinois vs. Owens Corning

Because both Owens-Illinois and Owens Corning manufactured a product called Kaylo, claimants must establish which company’s product caused their exposure. Owens-Illinois manufactured Kaylo from 1948 through 1958. Owens Corning manufactured Kaylo after 1958 and has its own separate asbestos trust fund. Many claimants with significant pipe insulation exposure histories may have valid claims against both trusts if the record supports exposure to products from both manufacturing periods.

Statutes of Limitations

Asbestos trust claims are subject to filing deadlines. These deadlines are typically tied to the date of diagnosis or the date the claimant knew or reasonably should have known of the connection between their illness and asbestos exposure. Because these limitations periods vary and can be strictly enforced, individuals who have received a relevant diagnosis — or family members of individuals who have died from an asbestos-related disease — should consult with an attorney experienced in asbestos claims as promptly as possible.

Summary

Owens-Illinois Inc. manufactured Kaylo high-temperature asbestos pipe insulation and block insulation from 1948 to 1958. Internal company documents established in litigation indicate that Owens-Illinois was aware of the health risks associated with Kaylo during the years it manufactured and sold the product. Workers exposed to Kaylo during that decade — including insulators, pipefitters, boilermakers, shipyard workers, power plant employees, and refinery workers — may have developed mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis decades after their exposure.

An active Owens-Illinois asbestos personal injury trust exists to pay compensation to eligible claimants. Filing a successful trust claim requires documented evidence of an asbestos-related diagnosis and evidence placing the claimant in contact with Owens-Illinois–manufactured Kaylo. Because Owens Corning continued the Kaylo product line after 1958 under a separate corporate identity, claimants with longer or broader exposure histories should evaluate whether claims exist against both trusts. Given the deadlines that apply to trust filings, individuals and families affected by Kaylo-related asbestos disease are advised to seek legal counsel without delay.