Mineralogy of Asbestos

Abstract

The term asbestos refers to a group of mineral fibers that share the properties of thermal and chemical resistance, flexibility, and high tensile strength. The word derives from the Greek sasbestos, signifying “unquenchable” or “indestructible.” Asbestos is actually a commercial term rather than a mineralogic one. Because of its many useful properties, asbestos has been incorporated into some 3000 different products in our industrialized society. Indeed, it has been referred to as the “magic mineral” and, for many applications, substitutes with similar properties and equally as inexpensive are extremely difficult to find. This chapter’s purpose is to describe what asbestos is, where it is found, and what analytical techniques are available for its identification and characterization. A description of the means by which one may be exposed to asbestos in the workplace, at home, or in the environment is given in Chapter 2, and techniques used for the analysis of asbestos in tissue samples are referred to in Chapter 11.