In addition to home construction and insulation, asbestos was a popular product in automobile component manufacturing. Some parts that contained asbestos are brake pads, clutch facings and gaskets. In fact, many of these asbestos-containing auto parts are still in use, meaning they are a continuing threat to those who work with them on a regular basis.

Asbestos Brake Pads

Brake pads slow, stop or control the movement of vehicles by applying pressure to a solid rotor. This friction causes a buildup in heat which requires a material strong enough to withstand such pressure. Although most modern brake pads are semi-metallic, composed mostly of safe materials like copper, steel and brass shavings held together with resin, this was not always the case. For many years, brake pads were made of non-metallic, organic materials, including carbon and asbestos. Unfortunately, asbestos’ low cost, heat resistance, and durability made this a popular material for this purpose.

The heavy friction involved in braking causes this source of asbestos to break down into dangerous dust particles which can enter the body of anyone who comes in close contact. Although the owners of these cars generally remain safe while driving, anyone who does repairs on the brakes or brake parts, which may have been coated with asbestos dust, is at risk. Despite regulations and warnings, evidence exists that asbestos was used in brake pads as recently as the 1990s. In addition, nations without such asbestos regulations may still manufacture aftermarket automotive parts, including brake pads, with asbestos.      

Asbestos Clutch Facings

Although many clutch facings in use today no longer contain asbestos, this material has not totally been eliminated from use. Like brake pads, the heat and friction clutch components face can free up dangerous asbestos-laced dust. Unfortunately, determining if the dust found on and around clutch facings contains asbestos is impossible by sight, meaning any at-home or professionals doing such repairs should assume such dust is toxic. This is especially true of older vehicles, when asbestos-product use was both legal and commonplace.  

Asbestos Gaskets and Heat Seals

Gaskets and heat seals create pressure-tight seals in vehicles to prevent the escape of gases and liquids through joints and seams. Along with heat seals, gaskets also help insulate the space between two automotive parts that do not always have a perfect fit. Therefore, to get the combination of heat resistance, strength and flexibility required of these pieces, asbestos was frequently used. In fact, compressed asbestos was the desired gasket material into the 1980s.

However, the automotive industry was not the only one to utilize this material to make these products. Asbestos heat seals and gaskets could be found in nearly every mechanical system that involved the transportation of gas, oil, acids, chemicals, or grease, including:

• Automobiles
• Boilers
• Compressors
• Condensers
• Engines
• Heat exchangers
• Pumps
• Turbines

Automotive Asbestos Exposure Risks

Like most other forms of asbestos exposure, those employed in fields that worked with these products are at the highest risk of developing an asbestos-related disease. This means that auto mechanics are at the highest risk because of their frequent handling of such products, although many other professions required the use of gaskets, including shipbuilding, manufacturing, oil refining and power plants. Like asbestos use in other fields, determining if a material is asbestos remains difficult, adding to the danger. Therefore, anyone in a field that typically involves close contact with materials that might contain asbestos should treat such products with the same degree of caution they would give to a product they knew for certain to be made up of asbestos.