Asbestos is a group of fibrous metamorphic minerals of the hydrous magnesium silicate variety. Types of asbestos: chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, actinolite and anthophyllite.
Most asbestos fibers are invisible to the human eye because their size.
Fibers ultimately form because when these minerals originally cooled and crystallized, they formed by the polymeric molecules lining up parallel with each other and forming oriented crystal lattices.
As they get smaller and lighter, they become more mobile and more easily get into the air, where human can imbibe them. The inhalation of some kinds of asbestos fibers however causes various serious illnesses, including asbestosis, mesothelioma, and asbestos related lung cancer, and thus most uses of asbestos are banned in many countries.
In the ancient times asbestos was of high value as the gold. Emperors and kings had napkins made of it. Others used asbestos to make perpetual wicks for sepulchral lamps.
Amosite and crocidolite were used in many products until the early 1980s. For example: low density insulation board and ceiling tiles, asbestos cement sheets and pipes for construction, casing for water and electrical/telecommunication services, and thermal and chemical insulation.
In the United States used chrysolit mainly for the following products: sheetrock taping, mud and texture coats, vinyl floor tiles, adhesives and ceiling tiles, plasters and stuccos, roofing tars, transite panels, acoustical ceilings, fireproofing, putty, caulk, gaskets, brake pads, clutch plates, stage curtains and fire blankets.
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