HEALTH

Keene Corp. Files Chapter 11: The most combative company in the protracted legal wrangle over asbestos diseases ended its battle with the filing for bankruptcy protection. The action came two days after a federal appeals court threw out Keene’s bid for a mandatory settlement of about 100,000 asbestos claims, leaving Keene no recourse but to become the 18th former asbestos products manufacturer to seek Chapter 11. Asbestos, a mineral with natural insulation properties, can cause cancer and other respiratory ailments years after exposure to its airborne fibers. Keene’s role in asbestos litigation dates to its 1968 acquisition of Baldwin-Ehret-Hill, a maker of asbestos-containing insulation products, for $8 million. Keene has spent $447 million resolving more than 95,000 claims.