Distillation Towers — Asbestos Exposure Crosswalk
What This Equipment Is
A distillation tower (also called a fractionation column or fractionator) is a tall vertical pressure vessel containing horizontal trays or packed sections. Feed flashes inside the column; vapor rises while liquid falls, and components separate by boiling point — light fractions exit overhead, heavy fractions exit the bottom, intermediate “side cuts” exit through draws at intermediate elevations.
Refineries contain dozens of distillation towers. The largest are crude-distillation atmospheric and vacuum towers — 100+ feet tall, 20+ feet in diameter, with dozens of trays. Smaller towers serve every other process: gasoline blending, light-ends recovery, FCC main fractionator, reformer stabilizer, depropanizer, debutanizer, naphtha splitter, vacuum gas-oil splitter. Chemical plants run similarly large towers in ethylene, propylene, butadiene, and aromatics service.
Towers run hot (typically 150–650°F shell temperature) and are insulated head to base. Every manway, tray-access door, and connection is gasketed. Surrounding piping carries vapor, liquid, and reflux at temperatures and pressures requiring full insulation and gasketing.
Asbestos Products Historically Used Around Distillation Towers
| Product Category | Where on the Tower | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Block insulation | Tower shell exterior (full height) | Calcium silicate, magnesia |
| Pipe covering | Overhead vapor, reflux, side-draw, bottoms piping | Magnesia, calcium silicate |
| Manway gaskets | Side and top manway access covers | Asbestos sheet, spiral-wound |
| Tray-access door gaskets | Internal access for tray inspection / replacement | Asbestos sheet gasket material |
| Valve packing | Control valves, isolation valves on tower piping | Braided asbestos rope packing |
| Removable insulation blankets | Around frequently-accessed valves and instruments | Sewn asbestos cloth + asbestos batting |
| Insulating cement | Joints and irregular surfaces | Mixed dry, hand-applied |
Why Distillation Tower Work Was a High-Exposure Activity
Towers are entered for tray inspection, tray replacement, packing change-out, and structural repair at every turnaround. Entry requires breaking and replacing manway gaskets at multiple elevations, often with shell-insulation strip and re-install. Inside the tower, workers handle tray hardware, packing material, and structural fittings — some historically containing asbestos components — for shift after shift in confined-space conditions.
Manufacturers Named in Litigation Involving Tower-Adjacent Products
- Johns-Manville — block insulation, pipe covering, gaskets
- Owens-Corning / Fibreboard — Kaylo block and pipe covering
- Armstrong World Industries — calcium silicate insulation
- Pittsburgh Corning — Unibestos
- Garlock Sealing Technologies — gaskets
- A.W. Chesterton — packing
- Crane Co. — valves
- Foster Wheeler — tower and ancillary equipment
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
- Owens-Corning / Fibreboard Asbestos PI Trust
- Armstrong World Industries Asbestos PI Settlement Trust
- Pittsburgh Corning Corporation Asbestos PI Trust
- Garlock Sealing Technologies LLC Asbestos PI Trust
Trades Most Exposed at Tower Work
Insulators (Heat & Frost), pipefitters, boilermakers, millwrights, refinery turnaround contractors, plant operators, confined-space rescue teams.
Jobsites in the Network
- Every Missouri refinery and large chemical plant in the network
- See companion pages: Fired Heaters, Heat Exchangers, Pipe Insulation
Compiled from publicly filed asbestos litigation, EPA / state-DNR 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.