Unibestos Historical Insulation Library
Follow the Unibestos name across the UNARCO and Pittsburgh Corning years, with products, plants, packaging and workplaces.
A name that crosses company histories
Unibestos was associated with Union Asbestos and Rubber Company (UNARCO) before Pittsburgh Corning acquired the product line in 1962. The federal decision in In re Related Asbestos Cases traces the transfer of manufacturing facilities, know-how, customers and the Unibestos trade name.
What made the product recognizable
Pittsburgh Corning described Unibestos as rigid, three-foot-long half-cylinder pipe covering. Its stated constituents were amosite asbestos, diatomaceous earth and sodium silicate. Some orders were cut into blocks.
A useful chronological framework
Early Navy-related Unibestos records date to the 1930s; Pittsburgh Corning began manufacturing July 1, 1962 and ended about February 1, 1972. That sequence can help locate the correct company name on a remembered carton or invoice.
Start with a physical memory
Picture a long cardboard carton, a pair of rigid half-round sections, a steam pipe, an overhead rack or a pipefitter shaping material at a fitting. A work area and approximate year can lead to a more precise investigation.
Explore the historical library
Unibestos Historical Insulation Library
Follow the Unibestos name across the UNARCO and Pittsburgh Corning years, with products, plants, packaging and workplaces.
Explore history →Unibestos: UNARCO to Pittsburgh Corning Timeline
A dated history of the Unibestos trade name, manufacturer transition and production years.
Explore history →Unibestos Pipe Covering: Shape, Materials and Installation
Recognize rigid half-cylinder pipe insulation, its dimensions, materials and fitting work.
Explore history →Unibestos Block and Custom-Cut Insulation History
Understand the documented block form and how it differed from standard pipe covering.
Explore history →Unibestos Cartons, Labels and Product Identification
Three-foot paperboard cartons, brand marks and the documented 1968 warning-label change.
Explore history →Unibestos Manufacturing: Tyler and Port Allegany
Two documented manufacturing plants and the dates Pittsburgh Corning reported for each.
Explore history →Unibestos: Navy and Shipyard History
Trace the early Navy testing history and later marine pipe-insulation uses.
Explore history →Unibestos in Power, Chemical and Industrial Workplaces
Industrial equipment and trade details that can help reconstruct insulation work.
Explore history →Pittcote, Pittseal and CS White Paint: Product History
Separate Pittsburgh Corning accessory coatings and mastics from Unibestos thermal pipe covering.
Explore history →Unibestos Historical Records and Primary Sources
Court decisions, manufacturer interrogatories and trust records for the Unibestos chronology.
Explore history →Historical source records
Federal court: Unarco to Pittsburgh Corning product-line history
Federal court: Pittsburgh Corning Unibestos manufacturing and insurance chronology
Federal bankruptcy appeal: Pittsburgh Corning corporate and asbestos history
Pittsburgh Corning Asbestos PI Trust
Start with what you remember
A product name, plant, pipe location, coworker or decade can be a starting point for investigating an asbestos exposure history.
Related manufacturer histories
Company names and installation contractors can overlap across historical records. Explore Armstrong products and contracting history →