Product Description
Babcock & Wilcox marketed Kaowool ceramic fiber blanket and pre-formed modules for lining boiler penthouses, burner throats, industrial furnaces, and heat-treat equipment. According to publicly filed asbestos litigation records, Kaowool was allegedly installed inside B&W boilers and other units that also carried B&W asbestos-containing block insulation, insulating cements, gaskets, and rope packing. Rebuild crews allegedly tore out the prior asbestos linings and packings before setting the Kaowool modules, allegedly generating airborne asbestos during demolition and re-sealing.
Workers Exposed
Boiler-refractory installers, ceramic fiber installers, and refractory masons allegedly cut and pinned Kaowool modules onto anchor studs in boiler walls and burner assemblies. Furnace-relining crews, industrial insulators, and kiln shutdown contractors allegedly performed adjacent tear-out and finishing work, allegedly encountering respirable asbestos from legacy B&W refractories and companion insulation products.