Westinghouse Micarta
Westinghouse Electric Corporation produced the Micarta™ brand of asbestos-reinforced phenolic-resin laminate during the asbestos era — through approximately 1980. Micarta is a layered laminate made from sheets of fabric, paper, or other reinforcement material impregnated with phenolic resin; during the asbestos era, asbestos cloth and asbestos paper were among the standard reinforcement materials. The finished laminate combined the structural properties of phenolic resin with the thermal/electrical insulation properties of asbestos.
Grades produced during the asbestos era included Micarta H (asbestos-cloth reinforced), Micarta FBE / FBG / FBI (asbestos-paper reinforced for electrical applications), Micarta P (high-temperature paper-phenolic), and various marine-grade and aerospace-grade laminates meeting MIL-M-14 specifications.
Successor: Westinghouse Electric’s asbestos liabilities flowed through corporate restructuring to CBS Corporation / Viacom and subsequent successor entities.
Products
Browse the full product catalog at AsbestosIndex
Worker exposure
Workers at Westinghouse Micarta compound or laminate manufacturing operations were exposed during raw asbestos handling, compound formulation, lamination pressing, and finishing operations. Downstream workers — electricians, machinists, fabricators, assembly workers — handling the company’s products were exposed during cutting, drilling, sanding, machining, and finishing of asbestos-filled material.
See Phenolic Resin & Plastic Molding Asbestos Archive for the comprehensive trade-vertical reference covering worker occupations, exposure pathways, and the litigation framework for this product category.
Worker rights
If you or a family member worked with Westinghouse Micarta asbestos-containing products and has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis, you may be entitled to compensation through asbestos bankruptcy trust funds or civil litigation. Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 936-2956 for a free, confidential case review.
References reflect what has been alleged or documented in publicly filed asbestos litigation. This information does not constitute a finding of fact or liability.