|
Asbestos
is the name applied
to six naturally occurring
minerals that are
mined from the earth.
The different types
of asbestos are:
| Actinolite
|
Amosite
|
| Anthophyllite
|
Chrysotile
|
| Crocidolite |
Tremolite
|
Of these
six, three are used
more commonly. Chrysotile
(white) is the most
common, but it is
not unusual to encounter
Amosite
(brown / off-white),
or Crocidolite
(blue) as well.
All
types of asbestos
tend to break into
very tiny fibers.
These individual fibers
are so small that
many must be identified
using a microscope.
In fact, some individual
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.
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.
Usually
asbestos is mixed
with other materials
to actually form the
products. Floor tiles,
for example, may contain
only a small percentage
of asbestos. Depending
on what the product
is, the amount of
asbestos in asbestos
containing materials
(ACM) may vary from
1%-100%.
Asbestos
Fibers |
