Missouri, Illinois & Indiana — Phenolic Resin & Plastics Manufacturing
Phenolic resin (Bakelite-type thermoset plastic) manufacturing is a distinct asbestos exposure pathway that differs fundamentally from the pipe-insulation story. At phenolic molding plants, asbestos was not insulation applied around pipes — it was blended directly into every batch of molding compound as a reinforcing filler at up to 5–10% by weight. Workers who loaded compound into press hoppers, trimmed flash from finished parts, and operated tumbling machines inhaled asbestos fibers from the compound itself throughout every production run. Military specification MIL-M-14 mandated asbestos-filled phenolic compounds for defense procurement through the mid-1970s. The principal defendants in these cases are the compound manufacturers — Union Carbide/Bakelite, Durez/Hooker Chemical, Monsanto Resinox, Rogers Corporation — in addition to the facility operator. Click any site to read its full exposure history.
Missouri
Illinois
Indiana
Map shows 423 documented asbestos exposure sites across Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. Click any marker to visit the site's full report.
Missouri Phenolic Resin & Plastics Sites
Koller Craft LLC
Fenton, St. Louis County — Custom Thermoset Molding (est. 1941)
Missouri's oldest custom plastics molding operation. Original operations centered on phenolic thermoset molding — asbestos-filled Bakelite-type compound was the raw material, not building insulation. Workers who loaded hoppers, trimmed flash, and ran tumbling machines inhaled compound dust containing asbestos fibers throughout every production run through the late 1970s. Compound suppliers include Union Carbide Bakelite, Durez, and Monsanto Resinox.
Hussmann Corporation
Bridgeton, St. Louis County — Commercial Refrigeration Manufacturing
Emerson Electric subsidiary (1969–2011) and one of the nation's largest commercial refrigeration equipment manufacturers. Bridgeton facility produced walk-in coolers and display cases for decades. Asbestos-containing insulation, gaskets, and electrical components throughout the plant. Pipefitters, insulators, boilermakers, and production workers from Local 1 and Local 562 documented at this St. Louis County facility.
Rogers Corporation
Phenolic Molding Compound Manufacturer — Midwest Distributor
Major manufacturer of thermoset phenolic molding compounds used by fabricating shops throughout the Midwest. Rogers compound operations measured asbestos fiber concentrations at up to 140 times the then-current OSHA permissible exposure limit. Workers who processed Rogers phenolic compound — and co-workers in the same facilities — have documented mesothelioma claims arising from compound dust exposure.
General Electric — Phenolic & Bakelite Operations
Missouri & Illinois — Electrical Component Manufacturing
GE manufactured and supplied phenolic and Bakelite thermoset molding compounds for electrical switchgear, motor housings, and component parts at facilities in the Missouri-Illinois industrial corridor. GE's phenolic operations produced approximately 60 million pounds per year of asbestos-containing phenolic compound at peak. A 2024 Connecticut verdict awarded $22.5 million for mesothelioma caused by GE phenolic compound.
Square D Corporation
Columbia, Missouri — Circuit Breaker Manufacturing
Square D's Columbia plant manufactured circuit breakers using asbestos-containing phenolic molding compound from both Rogers Corporation (RX-611 chrysotile, sold to Columbia, MO 1979–1995) and Plenco (testimony established approximately 95% of standard QO circuit breakers used Plenco compound, including Plenco 558 containing crocidolite). Press operators, deflash trimmers, and equipment maintenance workers faced compound-specific fiber exposure on every production shift. Schneider Electric acquired Square D in 1991 and remains a potential defendant.
Carter Carburetor Corporation
South St. Louis — Carburetor Manufacturing (2840 Spring Avenue)
Carter Carburetor's production of carburetor caps used Rogers Corporation RX462 compound — a crocidolite (blue asbestos)-containing phenolic molding compound at 50–55% asbestos by weight. Rogers's own MSDS for RX462 states that grinding and machining releases asbestos fibers. Occupational sampling cited in litigation documented fiber concentrations from processing RX462 at up to 140 times the then-current OSHA PEL. Acquired by ACF Industries, later Federal-Mogul. Workers: press operators, flash trimmers, and bystanders throughout the press area.
Reichhold Chemicals
Valley Park, St. Louis County — Phenolic Compound Manufacturer (249 St. Louis Ave.)
Reichhold Chemical Industries operated from Valley Park, Missouri and manufactured over 63 documented asbestos-containing phenolic molding compound formulations under its RCI numbering system. RCI 25-310 is specifically documented in recipe cards (1964–1977) as asbestos-containing compound sold to Square D's Columbia, MO circuit breaker plant. Hartford Group air sampling studies (1973–1978) documented fiber levels exceeding OSHA limits at Reichhold operations. UCC supplied asbestos to Reichhold 1975–1980. Compound business sold to BTL Specialty Resins in 1986.
Illinois Phenolic Resin Sites
Illinois law applies to these facilities. Asbestos claims arising from exposure at Illinois worksites are governed by Illinois law — including a 2-year statute of limitations under 735 ILCS 5/13-202, shorter than Missouri's 5-year window. Missouri residents who worked at Illinois phenolic plants frequently have claims under both states' laws simultaneously.
Resinoid Engineering Corporation
Skokie / Lisle, Illinois — Custom Thermoset Molding (est. 1939)
Custom thermoset molder operating in the Chicago metro area producing friction materials (brake linings, clutch facings), electrical insulation components, and specialty phenolic molded products. Operations span the full high-exposure era — 1939 through the 1980s — with workers mixing, pressing, grinding, and finishing asbestos-reinforced friction materials throughout. The Illinois–Missouri industrial corridor meant workers moved between facilities across state lines.
Plenco (Plastics Engineering Co.)
Chicago, Illinois — Thermoset Compound Manufacturer (est. 1934)
Plenco manufactured thermosetting plastics and phenolic molding compounds from its founding in Chicago in 1934 through the asbestos era. Workers who processed Plenco compound and workers at downstream fabricating shops using Plenco products both faced documented fiber exposure. Liberty Mutual paid $14.3 million in Plenco-related asbestos settlements. A major defendant in phenolic compound litigation for facilities throughout the Midwest.
Western Electric — Hawthorne Works
Cicero, Illinois — Telephone Equipment Manufacturing (1905–1983)
One of the largest industrial complexes in American history — more than 200 acres, peak employment over 40,000 workers. Hawthorne Works manufactured telephone handsets, switchboards, precision electrical components, and military communications equipment. Phenolic thermoset molding compound was used throughout for terminal blocks, handset housings, and arc-suppression components. Building insulation, boiler systems, and electrical cable insulation added parallel asbestos pathways. Illinois 2-year SOL applies. Later transferred to Lucent Technologies.
Indiana Phenolic Resin Sites
Indiana law applies to these facilities. Indiana's personal injury statute of limitations is 2 years from diagnosis under Indiana Code § 34-11-2-4 — significantly shorter than Missouri's 5-year window. Missouri workers who pulled shifts at Indiana facilities may have claims under both states' laws simultaneously depending on where exposure occurred.
Belden Manufacturing
Richmond, Indiana — Wire & Cable Manufacturing (est. 1902)
One of America's largest wire and cable manufacturers, with its founding facility in Richmond, Indiana. Belden's production relied on phenolic-impregnated fiber for high-temperature cable insulation throughout the mid-century manufacturing era. Workers in production, maintenance, and process operations faced asbestos exposure through insulated cable materials, building systems, and boiler room infrastructure. Indiana's 2-year SOL makes immediate legal evaluation critical.
Delco Remy
Anderson, Indiana — Automotive Electrical Manufacturing (GM Division)
General Motors' Delco Remy division produced starters, alternators, generators, and battery components at its massive Anderson, Indiana campus. Durez Plastics & Chemicals sold asbestos-containing phenolic compound to Delco Remy from at least the 1940s through the 1950s (Carlo Martino deposition). Durez compound No. 23639 contained 36% crocidolite and 18% chrysotile. Durez, UCC/Bakelite, and Plenco all competed for the GM/Delco compound business. Indiana 2-year SOL applies.
Rostone Corporation
Lafayette, Indiana — Phenolic Compound Manufacturer & Molder
Rostone manufactured "Rosite" thermoset phenolic molding compound in Lafayette, Indiana and also fabricated molded components on-site — creating a dual asbestos exposure pathway for workers who both produced raw compound and processed it into finished parts. Exposure occurred through hopper loading, compression molding, deflashing, trimming, and equipment maintenance across the peak asbestos era (1940s through late 1970s). Indiana 2-year SOL applies.
Other Manufacturers & Product Suppliers
Products manufactured outside Missouri were installed throughout the region. Asbestos-containing electrical equipment and phenolic piping systems made by manufacturers in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Delaware were shipped to and installed at chemical plants, power stations, steel mills, and industrial facilities across Missouri and Illinois. Workers who maintained or repaired these products at any facility — regardless of where the manufacturer was located — have documented exposure claims.
Haveg Industries
Witten, Pennsylvania — Asbestos Phenolic Pipe Manufacturer
Haveg manufactured corrosion-resistant asbestos-reinforced phenolic pipe, fittings, and cement sold to chemical plants, refineries, paper mills, and power stations throughout the Midwest. Haveg 41-series pipe was approximately 50% anthophyllite asbestos by weight (Sarton/PMK testimony). Chemtite pipe incorporated crocidolite (blue asbestos). Workers who cut, threaded, or repaired Haveg pipe at Missouri and Illinois facilities — including Shell Roxana Refinery (Wood River, IL), Monsanto Chemical, Granite City Steel, and Labadie Energy Center — inhaled asbestos fibers without any product warning. Acquired by Hercules, Inc.; Continental Diamond Fiber is a predecessor entity.
Allen-Bradley / Rockwell Automation
Milwaukee, Wisconsin — Electrical Controls & Circuit Breakers (installed throughout MO/IL/IN)
Allen-Bradley manufactured circuit breakers, motor starters, contactors, and industrial switchgear using asbestos-containing phenolic molding compound — including Rosite compound (Rostone Corp., Lafayette, IN; documented in Boness, Brashear, and Jones depositions) and compound from Durez, Plenco, and Rogers. These products were installed at power plants, chemical operations, steel mills, and manufacturing facilities throughout Missouri and Illinois. Workers who serviced Allen-Bradley electrical panels at any facility — electricians, maintenance mechanics, millwrights — were exposed when they opened panels, replaced contactors, or handled arc chutes. Rockwell Automation acquired Allen-Bradley in 1985 and remains a defendant in ongoing asbestos litigation.
Asbestos Phenolic Compound Product Reference
The following compound formulations have been identified in asbestos litigation records as containing asbestos — often at concentrations of 10 to 55 percent of compound weight. This cross-reference table allows workers and attorneys to match a specific compound product to the manufacturer responsible. Exposure reconstruction begins with identifying which compound a facility used.
| Manufacturer | Product / Compound No. | Asbestos Content | Fiber Type | Notes / Applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union Carbide Corp. (UCC / Bakelite) | DMDJ-7902 | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | General-purpose phenolic compound |
| P-1720 | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | Electrical grade phenolic compound | |
| TMDH 5161 | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | High-heat electrical compound | |
| BMMS-5333 | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | Compression molding grade | |
| BMRS-5440 | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | Compression molding grade | |
| UCC 5303 / 5310 / 5314 | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | Industrial-grade phenolic series | |
| UCC 5333 / 5353 | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | Compression molding, electrical | |
| UCC 5440 | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | High-fill compression grade | |
| DND4400 | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | Transfer molding grade | |
| Bakelite BM-120 / BM-210 series | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile / Crocidolite | UCC Bakelite brand, pre-1979 | |
| Durez Plastics & Chemicals (Hooker / Occidental) | 23639 | 36% crocidolite + 18% chrysotile | Crocidolite + Chrysotile | Sold to Delco Remy (Anderson, IN); >50% total asbestos by weight |
| 160990 | ~46% chrysotile | Chrysotile | Heavy-fill electrical compound | |
| 18001 | ~44% chrysotile | Chrysotile | High-strength compression grade | |
| SI-45 | ~46% chrysotile | Chrysotile | Electrical insulation compound | |
| 792B | ~9% chrysotile | Chrysotile | Lower-fill general purpose compound | |
| 1544 | ~4% chrysotile | Chrysotile | Low-fill, fine finish compound | |
| 17441 / 17554 | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | Compression molding grades | |
| Durite C-1 / C-5 / C-9 | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | Durite brand electrical grades; sold to Cutler-Hammer and Allen-Bradley | |
| Durite industrial series (50+ documented formulations) | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile / Crocidolite | Multiple grades for Delco, Cutler-Hammer, Allen-Bradley | |
| Rogers Corporation | RX462 | 50–55% crocidolite | Crocidolite | Used at Carter Carburetor (St. Louis); Rogers MSDS: grinding releases asbestos; 140× OSHA PEL documented |
| RX466 | Asbestos-containing | Crocidolite | High-fill crocidolite compound | |
| RX-611 | Chrysotile-containing | Chrysotile | Sold to Square D Columbia, MO 1979–1995 (Rogers interrogatory answers) | |
| RX468 / RX862 | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile / Crocidolite | Heavy compression molding grades | |
| RX660 | <10% chrysotile | Chrysotile | Lower-fill, later-period formulation | |
| RX3-1-525F | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | Documented Rogers compound formulation | |
| AX1365 | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | Documented Rogers compound formulation | |
| RX3-1 / RX4-2 / RX7-1 series | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile / Crocidolite | Cedar Rapids, IA and Columbia, MO sales documented | |
| Rogers "Durite"-equivalent crocidolite series | Crocidolite-containing | Crocidolite | Competing formulations in Durez market | |
| Plenco (Plastics Engineering Co.) | 105 | ~22.5% chrysotile | Chrysotile | General-purpose electrical grade |
| 308 / 338 / 397 / 407 | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | Compression molding electrical grades | |
| 558 | Crocidolite-containing | Crocidolite | Used in QO series circuit breakers (Square D Columbia, MO) | |
| 509 | ~30% chrysotile | Chrysotile | High-fill compression grade | |
| 466-100 / 548-110 | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | Transfer molding grades | |
| 571 / 316 | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | Industrial grade compounds | |
| Plenco 1050 / 1310 series | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | Later production series, pre-1978 | |
| Plenco "5%" low-fill compounds | ~5% chrysotile | Chrysotile | Lower-fiber-content grades, still asbestos-containing | |
| Plenco products documented in Liberty Mutual settlements | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile / Crocidolite | $14.3M Liberty Mutual asbestos settlement | |
| Reichhold Chemical Industries (Valley Park, MO / Carteret, NJ) | RCI 25-310 | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | Sold to Square D Columbia, MO 1964–1977 (recipe card documentation) |
| RCI 25170 | ~12.2% chrysotile | Chrysotile | Documented in compound analysis records | |
| RCI 25158 | ~9.5% chrysotile | Chrysotile | Documented in compound analysis records | |
| RCI 25346–25398 series | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | Multiple documented AC formulations in this series | |
| RCI 25506 / 92936 / 92506 | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | Additional documented AC formulations | |
| 63+ documented AC formulations (total) | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile / Crocidolite | UCC supplied asbestos fiber to Reichhold 1975–1980; Hartford Group air sampling 1973–1978 exceeded OSHA PEL | |
| Fiberite (GE / Cytec) | FM 6101 | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | Fiberite molding compound; electrical grade |
| FM 11547 / 17610 / 3050 | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | Compression and transfer molding grades | |
| MX 6500 / 3585 / 5686 | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | Mid-range fill molding compounds | |
| MXA 313 / 150 / 215 | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | High-performance electrical compound grades | |
| FM 8130 / FM 3510 / 3000 | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | Fiberite industrial series | |
| GE Genal series (pre-1968/69) | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | GE Genal branded phenolic compound; $22.5M CT verdict 2024 | |
| Fiberite "Cytec-era" AC compounds (Bowling Green, KY plant) | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | Cytec-Fiberite plant; documented in Eaton/Cutler-Hammer litigation | |
| Rostone Corporation (Rosite brand, Lafayette, IN) | Rosite K / G&R / 2000 | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | Rosite brand electrical and industrial grades |
| Rosite 2050 / 2150 / 2151 | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | Compression molding grades | |
| Rosite CD / GCD | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | Carbon-diamond series; used in Allen-Bradley electrical equipment (Boness, Brashear, Jones depositions) | |
| Rosite H-435-S / RCD | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | High-strength compression grades | |
| Rosite RM | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | Rubber-modified phenolic compound | |
| Rosite AC grades (through July 1981) | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | Continued AC formulations through July 1981 | |
| Allied Chemical (Plaskon) | 51-08 (per 1965 catalog) | Asbestos-containing | Chrysotile | Plaskon brand electrical phenolic compound, 1965 catalog |
| Haveg Industries (Witten, PA — Hercules subsidiary) | Haveg 41-series pipe | ~50% anthophyllite by weight | Anthophyllite | Corrosion-resistant phenolic pipe; cutting/grinding releases asbestos dust (Sarton PMK testimony) |
| Chemtite pipe | Crocidolite-containing | Crocidolite | Blue asbestos reinforced phenolic pipe; chemical plant service | |
| Haveg 41F / 61F cement | Asbestos-containing | Anthophyllite / Chrysotile | Joint compound for Haveg pipe connections; chiseling old cement generates asbestos dust |
Red-highlighted entries indicate crocidolite (blue asbestos) or anthophyllite — amphibole fiber types most strongly associated with pleural mesothelioma in epidemiological literature. All entries are based on litigation records, deposition testimony, MSDS documentation, or compound analysis results. This table is for informational and legal research purposes only.