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ASBESTOS
ASBESTOS, FROM THE GREEK WORD FOR 'UNQUENCHABLE
ASBESTOS IS THE NAME APPLIED TO SIX NATURALLY ---OCCURRING MINERALS THAT ARE MINED FROM THE EARTH ALL TYPES OF ASBESTOS TEND TO BREAK INTO VERY TINY FIBERS. THESE INDIVIDUAL FIBERS ARE SO SMALL THEY MUST BE IDENTIFIED USING A MICROSCOPE. SOME FIBERS MAY BE UP TO 700 TIMES SMALLER THAN A HUMAN HAIR. BECAUSE ASBESTOS FIBERS ARE SO SMALL, ONCE RELEASED INTO THE AIR, THEY MAY STAY SUSPENDED THERE FOR HOURS OR EVEN DAYS. USUALLY ASBESTOS IS MIXED WITH OTHER MATERIALS TO ACTUALLY FORM THE PRODUCTS. FLOOR TILES, FOR EXAMPLE, MAY CONTAIN ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF ASBESTOS.

ASBESTOS TYPES
MOST COMMONLY USED
CHRYSOTILE WHITE ASBESTOS

PROPERTIES
Naturally occurring fibrous minerals Flexible Good tensile strength Heat resistant Electrical resistance Good insulation Chemical resistant Insulating properties

OTHERS

TREMOLITE

Asbestos ore Asbestos fiber

AMOSITE BROWN ASBESTOS

ACTINOLITE

CROCIDOLITE BLUE ASBESTOS

ANTHOPHYLLITE

ASBESTOS: TYPES

AMOSITE, IS CALLED BROWN ASBESTOS, IS AN AMPHIBOLE FROM AFRICA. AMPHIBOLE ROCKS HAVE LONG, JAGGED, NEEDLE LIKE FIBERS THAT ARE CONSIDERABLY DANGEROUS IF INHALED. SERPENTINE (93% of commercial use) AMPHIBOLE (7% of commercial use) Actinolite, Amosite, Anthophyllite, Crocidolite, Richterite, Tremolite

Chrysotile

CROCIDOLITE, OR BLUE ASBESTOS, IS AN AMPHIBOLE ROCK FOUND IN AFRICA AND AUSTRALIA. BLUE ASBESTOS IS COMMONLY CONSIDERED THE MOST DANGEROUS TYPE OF ASBESTOS. GENERAL APPEARANCE SMALL, OFTEN SHORT, BUNDLES OF DARK COLOURED FIBRES.

Anthophyllite

CHRYSOTILE, ALSO KNOWN AS WHITE ASBESTOS,

ORIGINATES IN CANADA. IT IS FROM A SERPENTINE ROCK, WHICH MEANS ITS FIBERS ARE CURLED AND LESS SHARP, POSE FEWER THREATS THAN OTHER TYPES OF ASBESTOS AND IS THE TYPE MOST OFTEN USED INDUSTRIALLY.

ANTHOPHYLLITE THIS TYPE WAS MINED PRIMARILY IN FINLAND AND DISPLAYS A GRAY-BROWN COLOR. IT WAS NOT COMMERCIALLY USED AND WAS RATHER FOUND AS A CONTAMINANT. ANTHOPHYLLITE WAS MOST COMMONLY FOUND IN COMPOSITE FLOORING.

TREMOLITE THIS IS NOT USED COMMERCIALLY, BUT IT CAN BE FOUND AS A CONTAMINANT IN CHRYSOTILE ASBESTOS, VERMICULITE AND TALC POWDERS. IT WAS OCCASIONALLY FOUND AS A CONTAMINANT IN CERTAIN ASBESTOS-CONTAINING INSULATION PRODUCTS, PAINTS, SEALANTS AND ROOFING MATERIALS. TREMOLITE CAN BE WHITE, GREEN, GRAY AND EVEN TRANSPARENT.

ACTINOLITE THIS FORM OF ASBESTOS HAS A HARSH TEXTURE AND IS NOT AS FLEXIBLE AS THE OTHERS. IT IS MOST OFTEN FOUND IN METAMORPHIC ROCK. ACTINOLITE WAS NEVER USED COMMERICALLY, BUT IT CAN BE FOUND AS A CONTAMINANT IN SOME ASBESTOS PRODUCTS.

EXAMPLE OF ASBESTOS CONTAINING MATERIALS

BOARD MATERIAL

PIPE INSULATION

PAINTED BOARD

ASBESTOS ROPE

FLOOR TILES

TOILET CISTERN

CORRUGATED ROOFING

SPRAYED INSULATION

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ASBESTOS CONTAINING CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS BECAUSE IT IS A STRONG AND VERSATILE ELEMENT. SOME OF THE MORE COMMON ASBESTOS PRODUCTS INCLUDE: ACOUSTICAL PANELS ACOUSTIC TILING ADHESIVE ASBESTOS BOARD ASBESTOS CLOTH ASBESTOS SPONGE BLOCK ASBESTOS-FACED MINERAL WOOL ASBESTOS TEXTILE ASBESTOS TILING ASPHALT ATTIC INSULATION BONDING CEMENT CALCIUM SILICATE INSULATION CEILING TILES CERAMIC TILES CORK BOARD CORK COVERINGS FLOORING BACKING TILES WALLBOARD SIDING AND ROOFING FRICTION MATERIALS ROOFING SHINGLES VINYL FLOOR TILES VINYL WALL FLOORING INSULATION FOUND IN AND AROUND PIPES, AIR DUCTS, BOILERS, THERMAL PAPER PRODUCTS, AND ELECTRICAL WIRING. SPACKLING PATCHING TAPING COMPOUNDS PUTTY CAULK ADHESIVES JOINT COMPOUNDS THERMAL TAPE FIREPROOFING ACOUSTICAL TEXTURE PRODUCTS TEXTURED PAINT AND COATINGS DECORATIVE TILING FIRE BLANKETS CURTAINS DOORS

ASBESTOS CAN BE FOUND IN MANY PLACES OF THE HOME. IT IS IMPORTANT TO CHECK AN OLD HOME FOR ASBESTOS. IF YOU FIND ASBESTOS IN THE HOME - DO NOT MOVE OR DISTURB IT. REMOVAL OF ASBESTOS IN A HOME SHOULD BE DONE BY A LICENSED ASBESTOS REMOVAL CONTRACTOR. ASBESTOS VINYL FLOOR TILES CEILING TILES FIREPLACE SHIELDS DOORS ROOF SHINGLES

ASBESTOS FIBERS ARE ALSO VIRTUALLY INDESTRUCTIBLE. THEY ARE RESISTANT TO CHEMICALS AND HEAT, AND THEY ARE VERY STABLE IN THE ENVIRONMENT. THEY DO NOT EVAPORATE INTO AIR OR DISSOLVE IN WATER, AND THEY ARE NOT BROKEN DOWN OVER TIME. ASBESTOS IS PROBABLY THE BEST INSULATOR KNOWN TO MAN. BECAUSE ASBESTOS HAS SO MANY USEFUL PROPERTIES, IT HAS BEEN USED IN OVER 3,000 DIFFERENT PRODUCTS. IN ITS NATURAL STATE, ASBESTOS IS COMMONLY A WHITE, BROWN, OR BLUE FIBROUS MINERAL THAT HAS MANY PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS, BUT IS ALSO A POTENT AND DEADLY CARCINOGEN. THERE ARE SIX DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF ASBESTOS, BUT THE THREE MOST COMMON ARE CHRYSOTILE ASBESTOS AMOSITE ASBESTOS

ASBESTOS FIBERS ARE: VERY STRONG HIGHLY FLEXIBLE RESISTANT TO BREAKDOWN BY ACID, ALKALI, WATER, HEAT, AND FLAME NON-BIODEGRADABLE ENVIRONMENTALLY PERSISTENT
ACOUSTICAL MATERIALS FIRE PROOFING HEAT RESISTIVE MATERIALS CEILING AND FLOOR TILE SHEET ROCK MUD PLASTER INSULATION

CROCIDOLITE ASBESTOS

COTTON FIBRES

HEMP

JUTE

ASBESTOS CONTAINING MATERIALS

GLASS FIBRE

POLYMERIC FIBRE