Learn What You Need to Know About Asbestos
Asbestos is today absolutely banned by the EPA in construction and other consumer goods. There are very few select applications left for Asbestos anymore, and that too only where no other alternative resources are available. Asbestos was, for a large part of the recent human history, help in high repute because of it’s natural attributes, but now more and more of it’s effects on humans are coming to light.
The term asbestos actually refers not to a single element, but to a group of minerals that belong to the family of metamorphic minerals all of which share hydrous silicate as their pedigree. All of these minerals are poor conductors of electricity and are highly heat resistant. This is because they are bundles of fibers and heat and electricity cannot find a way through. These fibers can be further separated into even thinner threads beased on need. Asbestos has roughly four categories:
- Crociodlite – Blue in color and straight fibers
- Amosite – Brown in color and straight fibers
- Anthophyllite – Gray in color and straight fibers
- Chrysolite or white asbestos – white in color and curly fibers.
Crocidolite, amosite and anthophyllite are known as amphiboles, while Chrysolite is classified as a serpentine class owing to it’s curly fibers.
Asbestos was one of the most valuable commodities for the greater part of the human history, primarily because of it’s heat resistant properties. A famous tradition that has been handed down is that Charlemagne’s tablecloth was made of asbestos and was usually thrown into fire for cleaning. The major commercial use of asbestos started in the late 19th century.
Asbestos was widely used to insulate, soundproof and to make heat resistant buildings. It was later used in manufacture of cement, plastic sheets, roofing, pipes used in plumbing and for electrical purposes (such as in wire casings). The fibers in asbestos are very strong and can be very long. That’s why they’re used so widely in cement mixtures to re-inforce the cement and other plastic compounds.