Gaskets are materials used to seal one compartment of a device ...

including cellulose, polyethylene, and ceramic fibers, and clay, talc,
wollastonite, calcium carbonate, and silica gel thickeners.
The estimation of market shares and prices of the substitute
formulations
in the event of an asbestos ban relies to a large degree upon educated
judgments of industry experts. Table 4 summarizes the findings of this
analysis, and presents the data for the Asbestos Regulatory Cost Model.
If asbestos was made unavailable, perhaps 87 percent (see Attachment A) of
the asbestos containing roofing compounds market would be taken by
formulations containing cellulose fibers in combination with clay and mineral
thickeners. Identified most often by current and former asbestos processors
and Gardner Asphalt, a company with a large share of asbestos containing
roofing products market, this replacement fiber is cheaper than polyethylene
fiber and seems to perform adequately in reinforcement. Prices would be
expected to rise 18.5 percent (see Attachment B) to $2.95 per gallon due to
increased costs of production (ICF 1986). Formulations containing
polyethylene fibers, in conjunction with clay and mineral thickeners, are
estimated to account for 8 percent of the asbestos-based roofing compounds
(see Attachment A). These fibers costing 3 or 4 times more than cellulose on
an equivalent basis tended to be favored by manufacturers of aluminum roof
coatings.
Prices of formulations bodied with polyethylene fibers would likely
rise 35 percent (see Attachment B) to $3.36 per gallon due to increased costs
(ICF 1986). The remaining 5 percent would be divided between other
formulations containing clays, mineral fillers, silica gels, and ceramic
fibers (see Attachment A). Prices of these compounds could be expected to
rise 21.5 percent (see Attachment B) to $3.03 per gallon (ICF 1986).
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