Product Description
Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that Diamond Shamrock Corporation operated diaphragm-cell chlor-alkali plants that produced chlorine and caustic soda using asbestos-diaphragm technology on foraminous steel cathodes. According to those publicly filed asbestos litigation records, Diamond Shamrock diaphragm cells allegedly used a vacuum-deposited chrysotile-asbestos diaphragm slurried onto the cathode, combined with asbestos cell-liner packing at cell-body joints and asbestos-packed cell-head flange gaskets on the graphite / DSA anode assemblies.
Plaintiffs alleged that Diamond Shamrock diaphragms had a finite service life and were allegedly stripped, dried, and re-deposited on a rolling schedule inside the cell rooms, releasing dry asbestos fiber during tear-out and vacuum deposition.
Workers Exposed
Plaintiffs allegedly exposed to Diamond Shamrock chlor-alkali cell asbestos diaphragms and related asbestos-containing cell components include:
- Chlor-alkali plant operators walking cell aisles on brine and caustic sampling rounds
- Diaphragm-cell renewers vacuum-depositing chrysotile diaphragms and tearing out spent diaphragms
- Chemical plant pipefitters cutting cell-head brine, catholyte, and hydrogen piping
- Chemical plant boilermakers rebuilding cell frames and anode assemblies
- Chemical plant turnaround crews on scheduled cell-room outages
- Chemical plant electricians on cell bus-bar and rectifier work
- Chemical plant maintenance mechanics on cell-head packing and gasket work