Asbestos Paper — Asbestos Exposure Crosswalk

What This Product Is

Asbestos paper is a light-weight pressed asbestos sheet — distinct from the thicker pressed asbestos sheet called Millboard and from woven Asbestos Cloth. It was manufactured in roll and sheet form for applications requiring asbestos’s thermal and electrical insulation properties at moderate stiffness and thickness:

  • Electrical insulation — wrapping conductors and coil ends in motors, generators, transformers (see Motor Windings, Generators, Transformer Components)
  • Heat-shield backing — behind sheet-metal heat shields on appliances and vehicles (see Vehicle Heat Shields)
  • Built-up roofing felt — asphalt-saturated asbestos paper in BUR roof systems (see Asbestos Roofing)
  • Pipe-covering inner-and-outer wrapping — paper layers in some pipe-covering constructions (see Pipe Insulation)
  • Hot-pad and trivet construction — household and commercial-kitchen hot pads
  • Cigarette filters (Kent Micronite, 1952–1956 — crocidolite paper)
  • HVAC duct lining — see Duct Insulation
  • Floor-tile underlayment — see Floor Tile, Linoleum

Why Asbestos Paper Was an Asbestos Exposure Pathway

Asbestos paper is highly friable — easily torn, easily fragmented, easily turned to dust by handling, cutting, drilling, or burning. Cutting asbestos paper to fit during installation released cut-edge fiber. Bending the paper to wrap conductors or shields released fiber along the bend lines. Removal of aged asbestos paper from electrical equipment, roofing, or appliance applications generated dense fiber concentrations.

The historical Kent Micronite cigarette filter (1952–1956) is a notable consumer-exposure cohort — the filter was constructed with crocidolite-asbestos paper, and smokers inhaled fiber directly from the filter under normal smoking conditions.

Manufacturers Named in Asbestos-Paper Litigation

  • Johns-Manville — asbestos paper product line
  • Raybestos-Manhattan — asbestos textile and paper products
  • H.K. Porter / Southern Asbestos — paper and textile products
  • Carey-Canada / Philip Carey Manufacturing — paper products
  • Owens-Illinois (Kent Micronite filter era)
  • GAF Materials Corporation — built-up roofing felts

Documented Product References

Images sourced from publicly available product-identification reference materials. Inclusion does not constitute a finding of liability against any company.

Trust Funds That May Apply

  • Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust
  • Raybestos-Manhattan Asbestos PI Trust
  • Owens-Corning / Fibreboard Asbestos PI Trust
  • Flintkote Asbestos PI Trust

Trades and Categories Most Exposed to Asbestos Paper

Electricians (motor / generator / transformer rewinds), roofers (built-up roofing), heating-appliance installers and repairers, automotive technicians, demolition crews handling vintage equipment, smokers of Kent Micronite cigarettes 1952–1956 (consumer-product cohort).

Cross-References

Compiled from publicly filed asbestos litigation, FDA / CPSC consumer-product records, and industry-publication histories. Product and company references reflect what has been alleged or documented in publicly filed litigation. This page does not constitute a finding of liability against any company. Not legal advice; consult a licensed attorney about your specific situation.