The mineral nature of asbestos.
Fibrous minerals are common in nature but asbestiform minerals are rare. The unique mineralogical characteristic common to all the asbestos minerals is their morphologic form (or habit of crystallization) as polyfilamentous fiber bundles. The individual fibrils within the bundles have a tendency to be very long with a narrow range of diameters and grow with their long fiber axis in parallel orientation to the bundle length. The asbestiform habit imparts to the asbestos minerals sufficient flexibility and tensile strength so that most can be woven into cloth. In the past application has focused on their ability to insulate against the transfer of heat. However, these minerals possess other properties which make them useful in many industrial applications.
Ross
Malcolm
M
Earth and Environmental Sciences of the Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA. mrdrr@earthlink.net
Langer
Arthur M
AM
Nord
Gordon L
GL
Nolan
Robert P
RP
Lee
Richard J
RJ
Van Orden
D
D
Addison
John
J
D001194:Asbestos / Q000737:chemistry*; D017636:Asbestos, Amphibole / Q000737:chemistry; D019016:Mineral Fibers / Q000032:analysis; D008906:Mining
D017636:Asbestos, Amphibole; D019016:Mineral Fibers; D001194:Asbestos