Asbestos is the name given to a number of naturally occurring, fibrous silicate minerals mined for their useful properties such as thermal insulation, chemical and thermal stability, and high tensile strength. Asbestos is commonly used as an acoustic insulator, and in thermal insulation, fire proofing and other building materials. Many products in use today contain asbestos.
Types of Asbestos:
White Asbestos
Chrysotile, CAS No. 12001-29-5, is mined from serpentine rocks . Chrysotile, along with other types of asbestos, has been banned in the majority of civilized countries with the exceptions being in the United States and Europe in very limited circumstances. Chrysotile Asbestos has been used more than any other type of asbestos and chrysotile commonly occurs as soft friable fibers.
The most common chrysotile asbestos application is sheet rock joint compound. Chrysotile is more flexible than amphibole types of asbestos; it can be spun and woven into fabric. Hundreds of other consuymer products have been made containing chrysotile including brake linings, cloth behind fuses (for fire protection), pipe insulation, in floor tiles and in rope seals to boilers.
The Chemical Formula of Chrysotile is Mg3[Si2O5](OH)4
Brown Asbestos
Amosite, CAS No. 12172-73-5, is the trade name for the amphibole asbestos mined in Africa, named as an acronym from Asbestos Mines of South Africa. It is found most frequently as a fire retardant in thermal insulation products and ceiling tiles.
The Chemical Formula for amosite asbestos is Fe7Si8O22(OH)2.
Blue Asbestos
Blue asbestos in Mesothelioma tumor.
Crocidolite, CAS No. 12001-28-4 is an amphibole found in south Africa, but also in Australia.
The Chemical Formula of Crocidolite asbestos is Na2Fe2+3Fe3+2Si8O22(OH)2.
All forms of asbestos are fibrillar , meaning that they are composed of fibers with widths less than 1 micrometre and occur in bundles varying lengths.