Product Description
Synkoloid All-Purpose Joint Compound was manufactured and marketed by the Synkoloid Company (later Artra Group, Inc.) from approximately 1962 through 1982 for use in the taping, filling, and topping of gypsum-wallboard seams and finish surfaces. Available in both dry-powder and ready-mixed formulations, the product was sold nationally through building-supply, hardware, and paint-store distribution channels to drywall contractors, painters, and remodel tradespeople.
Plaintiffs have alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that Synkoloid All-Purpose Joint Compound was formulated with chrysotile asbestos incorporated as a functional fibrous additive that improved crack resistance, workability, and set-strength. According to publicly filed asbestos litigation records, Synkoloid marketed a family of asbestos-containing drywall products alongside All-Purpose — including Synkoloid Triple-Duty Joint Compound, Synko Topping Joint Compound, and Stucco Cement Patch — with the asbestos-containing formulation of All-Purpose remaining in commercial production through approximately 1982.
Workers Exposed
Plaintiffs allege the following trades were exposed to airborne chrysotile fibers from Synkoloid All-Purpose Joint Compound:
- Drywall finishers and tapers who mixed the dry powder in buckets or opened ready-mixed pails, embedded drywall tape, applied fill and topping coats, and sanded dried joints with hand-sanders and pole-sanders — allegedly generating dense airborne dust in enclosed rooms.
- Painters who feathered, patched, and sanded Synkoloid joints during pre-paint preparation on new construction, remodel, and repaint work.
- Carpenters and remodelers who used Synkoloid All-Purpose for drywall repairs, punch-list patching, and finish carpentry work.
- Laborers who mixed compound, swept sanding dust, and hauled empty containers — allegedly inhaling settled fiber-laden dust.