Historical insulation research
Unibestos Cartons, Labels and Product Identification
Three-foot paperboard cartons, brand marks and the documented 1968 warning-label change.
The carton itself
Pittsburgh Corning reported shipping Unibestos in paperboard cartons three feet long, with the other dimensions varying by the pipe diameter. Printing included the company identity, product name, size, description and logo.
1968 label change
The manufacturer stated that an asbestos warning began appearing on shipping cartons in 1968. That date may help distinguish cartons seen at different points in a work history.
Memory prompts
Was the material unloaded in long boxes? Were the cartons stored near a boiler room, mechanical shop or loading dock? Did someone read a brand name, a diameter or a warning? Names on a carton can help identify the distributor or manufacturing period.
Manufacturer versus product name
The same Unibestos trade name spans the earlier UNARCO era and the later Pittsburgh Corning era. Remembered company names and approximate years should be recorded together.
Explore related Unibestos history
Return to the Unibestos 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.