Asbestos and Electrical Components, 1930s

As you upgrade old electrical systems or inspect them for destruction, do you ever wonder whether the original material contained asbestos? One of my favorite resources are the older catalogs which are very thick, heavy, and data intensive. These do not replace testing, of course, but they are a good starting point for knowledge. Many can still be purchased on eBay for reasonable prices.

An example is the Westinghouse General Catalog, 1931-1932.

Probably the most important take-away point is that the Westinghouse insulation for its products used a lot more mica than they did asbestos. As stated in the catalog, “neither Westinghouse engineers nor any others have ever found a satisfactory substitute for mica.”

Note that, however, at times asbestos was used with the mica, such as the discussion about the “No. 246 Asbestos Mica Sandwich.” As such the only way to be sure is to inspect and test.

A nice benefit to having a catalog is that they list the products and prices. Interesting listing and pricing for the asbestos containing insulation.

This type of book is not essential for an asbestos library, but it is additive to your knowledge and contains interesting facts not easily available elsewhere. It is also hernia size, so be careful picking it up and walking around.

Let me know what you think in the comments or by sending me an email at TheAsbestosBlog@gmail.com. Thank you. Marty