Get in Touch
Have questions? Call or chat with our Patient Advocates for answers.
Written by Michelle Whitmer | Scientifically Reviewed By Sean Fitzgerald, PG | Edited By Walter Pacheco | Last Update: July 23, 2024
Abex Corporation is a friction products company that formerly used asbestos in its brakes. Asbestos is a mineral that is naturally resistant to heat, and it was commonly added to friction products.
The company put asbestos into its brake shoes, brake pads and brake linings from 1926 through 1987. Some reports suggest Abex used asbestos in its hydraulic systems, fluid power parts, aircraft control systems and components for railroad cars.
In 2001, Pneumo Abex filed for bankruptcy and reorganization because of mounting asbestos lawsuits. The reorganization plan required the company to establish an asbestos trust fund to process outstanding and future asbestos claims.
Abex’s successor companies set up the Pneumo Abex Asbestos Claims Settlement Trust in 2011 to handle asbestos-related claims.
The trust fund was established with an estimated $307 million to compensate people who develop asbestos-related diseases because of exposure to Abex products.
In 2018, the trust was part of a dispute between PepsiCo Inc. and Eaton Corp., which acquired Abex’s liability when it bought Cooper Industries in 2012 (Cooper bought Abex Friction Products in 1994).
Eaton was ordered to pay $293 million into the Pneumo Abex asbestos trust because of a lawsuit filed by Pepsi claiming the trust wasn’t funded with enough money to handle future claims.
Pepsi officials said the lack of funds put Pepsi in a position to be sued in the future because of a prior indemnity agreement between Pepsi and Pneumo Abex.
Abex has faced thousands of personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits because its asbestos products caused workers to develop asbestos-related illnesses.
Pneumo Abex continues to handle asbestos lawsuits that fall outside the coverage of the Pneumo Abex Asbestos Claims Settlement Trust.
Gain access to trust funds, grants and other forms of compensation for you or your loved ones.
Get Help NowPeople exposed to Abex’s brake products included factory workers who manufactured the products and workers who used them on the job.
Many of Abex’s employees were metal workers and factory workers. Occupations that used Abex’s asbestos products included construction workers, railroad workers, aerospace workers and automotive mechanics. They often inhaled asbestos dust when installing or servicing Abex brake products.
These workers have an elevated risk of developing mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases because they were exposed to asbestos through Abex’s products. Abex employees were also at risk of exposure to asbestos insulation at the factory that may have been found in machinery, equipment and building materials.
In 1990, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency declared the old Abex plant in Portsmouth, Virginia, and surrounding areas a Superfund site after discovering soil contamination that included asbestos and lead. Several nearby neighborhoods and a playground contained contaminated soil resulting from work performed at the facility.
Throughout the late 1980s and the 1990s, the agency ordered Abex to clean up sections of the facility and surrounding areas. In March 2000, soil cleanup within 700 feet of the facility’s foundry was completed.
In 2001, a new phase of cleanup began to determine how far contamination from the Abex facility had spread. By April 2015, the EPA approved a Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study regarding the spreading of contamination.
The remedial investigation was finished in April 2019, but the feasibility study hasn’t been completed.
In 1902, five manufacturers with patents for railroad brake shoes consolidated to form American Brake Shoe & Foundry Co., the predecessor of Abex. The company built an iron factory in Mahwah, New Jersey, that year and began casting brake shoes for railroad cars.
It then expanded into manufacturing brakes for automotive vehicles and planes. In 1966, the company changed its name to Abex to reflect a growing friction product line. Two years later it was acquired by Illinois Central Industries.
The company grew internationally in the 1970s to provide friction products in South America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. It merged with Pneumo Corporation 1978.
In 1994, Cooper Industries acquired Abex Friction Products, the division of Abex Inc. that manufactured brakes for train cars, trucks and off-road vehicles. In 1998, Federal-Mogul Corporation acquired both Abex Friction Products and Abex Inc., which continued to manufacture aerospace and industrial products.
Tenneco acquired Federal-Mogul and the Abex business in 2018. Today, the company operates under the name Abex and continues to manufacture heavy-duty brakes.
Recommended ReadingYour web browser is no longer supported by Microsoft. Update your browser for more security, speed and compatibility.
If you are looking for mesothelioma support, please contact our Patient Advocates at (855) 404-4592
The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com has provided patients and their loved ones the most updated and reliable information on mesothelioma and asbestos exposure since 2006.
Our team of Patient Advocates includes a medical doctor, a registered nurse, health services administrators, veterans, VA-accredited Claims Agents, an oncology patient navigator and hospice care expert. Their combined expertise means we help any mesothelioma patient or loved one through every step of their cancer journey.
More than 30 contributors, including mesothelioma doctors, survivors, health care professionals and other experts, have peer-reviewed our website and written unique research-driven articles to ensure you get the highest-quality medical and health information.
My family has only the highest compliment for the assistance and support that we received from The Mesothelioma Center. This is a staff of compassionate and knowledgeable individuals who respect what your family is experiencing and who go the extra mile to make an unfortunate diagnosis less stressful. Information and assistance were provided by The Mesothelioma Center at no cost to our family.LashawnMesothelioma patient’s daughter
Whitmer, M. (2024, July 23). Abex Corporation. Asbestos.com. Retrieved October 9, 2024, from https://www.asbestos.com/companies/abex-corporation/
Whitmer, Michelle. "Abex Corporation." Asbestos.com, 23 Jul 2024, https://www.asbestos.com/companies/abex-corporation/.
Whitmer, Michelle. "Abex Corporation." Asbestos.com. Last modified July 23, 2024. https://www.asbestos.com/companies/abex-corporation/.
An occupational scientist or another expert who specializes in occupational hazards reviewed the content on this page to ensure it meets current scientific standards and accuracy.
Please read our editorial guidelines to learn more about our content creation and review process.
Sean Fitzgerald, PG, is a research geologist specializing in asbestos environmental studies.
Mesothelioma Center - Vital Services for Cancer Patients & Families doesn’t believe in selling customer information. However, as required by the new California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), you may record your preference to view or remove your personal information by completing the form below.