What is asbestos?
Asbestos a mineral fiber that has been used commonly in a variety of building construction materials for insulation and as a fire-retardant. Asbestos is the name given to a number of naturally occurring fibrous minerals that are mined for their useful properties such as thermal insulation, chemical and thermal stability, and high tensile strength. The three most common types of asbestos are: a) chrysotile, b) amosite and c) crocidolite. Chrysotile, also known as white asbestos and a member of the Serpentine mineral group is the commonest. Asbestos can only be identified under a microscope. Asbestos differs from other minerals in its crystal development. The crystal formation of asbestos is in the form of long thin fibers. Asbestos is divided into two mineral groups — Serpentine and Amphibole. The division between the two types of asbestos is based upon the crystalline structure. Serpentines have a sheet or layered structure where amphiboles have a chain-like structure. As the only me
Asbestos is a name given to a group of naturally occurring minerals including its fibrous forms: chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, anthophyllite, actinolite, and tremolite. The word asbestos is derived from the Greek language meaning inextinguishable. It has been mined and added to many building products.
Asbestos is the name given to a group of six different fibrous minerals (amosite, chrysotile, crocidolite, and the fibrous varieties of tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite) that occur naturally in the environment. Asbestos minerals have separable long fibers that are strong and flexible enough to be spun and woven and are heat resistant. Because of these characteristics, asbestos has been used for a wide range of manufactured goods, mostly in building materials (roofing shingles, ceiling and floor tiles, paper products, and asbestos cement products), friction products (automobile clutch, brake, and transmission parts), heat-resistant fabrics, packaging, gaskets, and coatings. Some vermiculite or talc products may contain asbestos.
Asbestos refers to a mineral fiber, with the term describing six naturally occurring minerals found in rock formations. The compound consists of silicon, oxygen, hydrogen, and various metal components. These mineral fibers are very small and light, normally invisible to the naked eye. Their use in insulation is due to the fact that they are heat resistant and extremely durable. The presence of asbestos is not necessarily health threatening. As long as the material is not damaged and it is well sealed, not allowing mineral to escape, there is no associated health risk. When the material can be crushed or reduced to powder by hand pressure, allowing pieces to escape, a health risk may be imposed.
For most individuals, especially those born in the last 40 years, the mention of asbestos conjures up thoughts of a dangerous substance that’s sickened many people and caused myriad deaths around the world. That’s an accurate description. A common misconception on the part of many individuals, however, is that asbestos is a hazardous man-made substance, conjured up in factories around the world for commercial use. The truth is, however, that asbestos is a naturally-occurring mineral that can be found in hundreds of countries on just about every continent. As a matter of fact, asbestos is still mined in several of these countries, including Canada and Russia. Other countries have outlawed the mining of asbestos. Asbestos is a highly-fibrous mineral with long, thin, separable fibers. The thin fibers can be spun and woven together, and possess valuable heat-resistant properties that make asbestos suitable for insulation and other such products. Indeed, for decades, asbestos was the materi
