Historical insulation research
Kaylo Historical Insulation Library
The Kaylo name, makers, ownership changes, historical product forms and original records.
You are in a historical research collection
Explore the Kaylo record
Kaylo Pipe Covering History
Recognize half-round insulation sections, fitting work, hot piping and maintenance.
Explore history →Kaylo Block Insulation History
Rigid insulation blocks, cutting, fitting and high-temperature equipment.
Explore history →Kaylo Ownership and Manufacturing Timeline
Trace Owens-Illinois, Owens Corning, manufacturing locations and dates.
Explore history →Kaylo Insulation: Trades and Workplaces
How insulators, pipefitters, mechanics, laborers and shipyard workers encountered insulation work.
Explore history →Kaylo Historical Records and Archives
Court opinions, testimony, company records and archival photographs.
Explore history →A name that changed hands
Owens-Illinois produced Kaylo insulation commercially beginning in 1948. Owens Corning assumed distribution responsibility under a 1953 agreement and purchased the Kaylo division in 1958. The historical asbestos-containing Kaylo line ended in 1972, according to the Illinois Supreme Court account. The same brand name can therefore appear with different company names and packaging across decades.
Two recognizable product forms
Kaylo was supplied as pipe covering and as rigid insulation blocks for high-temperature applications. Pipe sections were fitted around lines and joints; blocks could be cut to fit equipment and other irregular surfaces. Those different shapes often remain in workplace memory long after the manufacturer name is forgotten.
Begin with a remembered detail
Remembering the insulation color, shape, a shipping carton, a coworker, a boiler room or the decade can be a useful starting point. H&S can help investigate the history behind those memories.
Continue exploring
Kaylo Pipe Covering History
Recognize half-round insulation sections, fitting work, hot piping and maintenance.
Explore history →Kaylo Block Insulation History
Rigid insulation blocks, cutting, fitting and high-temperature equipment.
Explore history →Kaylo Ownership and Manufacturing Timeline
Trace Owens-Illinois, Owens Corning, manufacturing locations and dates.
Explore history →Kaylo Insulation: Trades and Workplaces
How insulators, pipefitters, mechanics, laborers and shipyard workers encountered insulation work.
Explore history →Kaylo Historical Records and Archives
Court opinions, testimony, company records and archival photographs.
Explore history →Selected source records
Maryland Court of Appeals, Owens-Illinois v. Armstrong (1992)
Illinois appellate record, Kaylo manufacturing and distribution stipulation
University of Toledo, Owens Corning corporate archives finding aid
ToxicDocs, Kaylo division testimony and manufacturing records
Start with what you remember
You do not need to know the product manufacturer before asking for help investigating a work or family exposure history.
Explore Kaylo packaging, workplaces and manufacturing
Kaylo Cartons, Labels and Product Identification
Historical carton markings, product identity and warning-label chronology.
Explore history →Kaylo in Shipyards, Boiler Rooms and Industrial Insulation Work
A documented look at shipboard pipe covering, boilers, turbines and insulation tasks.
Explore history →Kaylo Manufacturing: Berlin, New Jersey and the 1958 Transition
How manufacturing, distribution and ownership changed over the Kaylo years.
Explore history →Original historical documents
Read the Kaylo records at ToxicDocs
These source documents connect the product history to the actual historical record.
1948 · Owens-Illinois / laboratory correspondence
Saranac Laboratory report on Kaylo dust
1948 correspondence reports animal inhalation findings and changes to earlier conclusions.
1960 · Owens-Illinois historical sales literature
Industrial Kaylo sales literature
Product literature describes Kaylo pipe insulation, calcium silicate, asbestos reinforcement and high-temperature uses.
1991 · Owens-Corning litigation discovery
Owens-Corning interrogatory responses
Responses discuss the historical Kaylo product, rebranding under Hy-Lo and Armstrong LK, and development of asbestos-free Kaylo.
Additional historical court records
Explore original court opinions and documentary leads on the Saranac research, Kaylo manufacturing and distribution, the 1958 business transfer, and carton labeling. Read the Kaylo court-records research →
Related manufacturer histories
Company names and installation contractors can overlap across historical records. Explore Armstrong products and contracting history →