This is another old book from the archive. It is called asbestos, its origin, production and utilization. Written by a person w.e. Sinclair. I have reviewed another old book like this that was written before asbestos had a bad reputation. This one was also written before many of the health risks about asbestos were made public. It gives you insight into the mindset of the time and why so many people that asbestos was the best thing you could possibly use to fireproof a house or your clothes or your work environments or anything else. I include an excerpt from the book here and it specifically talks about the different types of asbestos and how you can tell them apart:
Varieties of Asbestos
As a result of the confusion in the original naming of the fibres that ultimately proved to be of mineral origin, two words have finally come into use to describe them, namely asbestos and amianthus. The former, however is most commonly used, whilst the term amianthus is restricted to only a few European fields.
The Various forms of asbestos have been given distinctive names according to their mineralogical and chemical composition; howeve, it is not uncommon to find in some countries that the different classes are given local names, for example ”pierre a coton” (cotton stone), as the French sometimes call chrysotile asbestos, and in the Cape asbestos field the natives commonly call the crocidolite asbestos “garin-klip” (string stone), as the French sometimes call chrysotile asbestos, and in the Cape asbestos field the natives commonly call the crocidolite asbestos “garin-klip” (string stone).
Besides many such examples of local nomenclature, there is common reference to certain freak occurrences of asbestos. These are called by anyof the following names: mountain flax, mountain wood, mountain leather or mountain cork, and sometimes polygorskite or pilolite. These terms are actually meaningless, because they fail to describe the true nature of the occurrences, which are usually nothing more than freak fibrous amphibole forms of no significant value except as museum specimens.
The asbestiform minerals that are of possible known value in industry are classified and designated according to their mineral-logical constituents, chemical composition and crystalline form, wherefore they have been divided into the following distinct groups:
CLASSIFIED GROUPING OF THE RECOGNISED ASBESTIFORM MINERALS
(2) Picrolite
(3) CROCIDOLITE
These fibrous mineral types are rarely of equal value, and indeed may not be of any commercial value at all unless they possess certain inherent properties which affect the extent of their usefulness.
The essential physical characteristics of all the asbestiform minerals are their fibrous nature, and especially the length, strength colour and degree of flexibility and elasticity of the fibres when they are extracted from the rocks that contain them. These are the principal physical factors that determine their value for industrial manufacturing purposes.
In addition, comprehensive differences in the chemical composition of the various classes of asbestos constitute factitive conditions in their commercial application. The properties sometime affected are the degree of incombustibility or infusibility of the fibre, also the effectiveness of the material in resisting heat, sea water, acids, alkalies or different chemicals.
Chrysotile is classed as a hydrated magnesium ortho-silicate containing a high percentage of magnesia and of water. Its chemical formula may be expressed as either;
2H20, 3MgO, 2SiO2
Or
Mg3Si2O5 (OH) 4
Depending on the not unusual diverse composition of the fibre. In addition to the silica and magnesia content, chrysotile usually contains varying amounts of ferrous and ferric iron and alumina. Lime is an uncommon constituent.
The average analyses of typical and representative samples of chrysotile from Canada, Southern Rhodesia and South Africa are given in Tables I, II and III respectively. Table IV indicates the chemical composition of different specimens of chrysotile from various fields. The variation in these analyses is probably accounted for, to a great extent, by the unavoidable presence of impurities in the specimens rather than the apparent extreme differences in actual composition, although there are several factors which together are responsible for variation, such as the locality and whether the fiber is freed from impurities in the treatment process.
Chemically, chrysotile, closely resembles serpentine, its matrix or parent rock. The composition of typical serpentine rock bearing chrysotile is shown in TABLE V.
As in the case of chrysotile, the value of the asbestiform minerals depends on their fibrous structure, consequently there is little difficulty in the general identification of the useful commericial minerals in the group. It is only by their crystalline structure and chemical composition, however, that their exact identity can be established.
It has already been mentioned (chapter II) that the essential and important property of all these minerals depends on their fibrous structure. The length and strength of the fibres and other physical properties determine their value in commerce and industry.
The chemical make-up of the amphibole asbestos varieties plays a more important part than in the case of chrysotile because in some cases the amphibole types may be of special value notwithstanding a weak fibrous structure
adxasbestos removal.com 125 S Clark St Chicago, IL
Varieties of Asbestos
As a result of the confusion in the original naming of the fibres that ultimately proved to be of mineral origin, two words have finally come into use to describe them, namely asbestos and amianthus. The former, however is most commonly used, whilst the term amianthus is restricted to only a few European fields.
The Various forms of asbestos have been given distinctive names according to their mineralogical and chemical composition; howeve, it is not uncommon to find in some countries that the different classes are given local names, for example ”pierre a coton” (cotton stone), as the French sometimes call chrysotile asbestos, and in the Cape asbestos field the natives commonly call the crocidolite asbestos “garin-klip” (string stone), as the French sometimes call chrysotile asbestos, and in the Cape asbestos field the natives commonly call the crocidolite asbestos “garin-klip” (string stone).
Besides many such examples of local nomenclature, there is common reference to certain freak occurrences of asbestos. These are called by anyof the following names: mountain flax, mountain wood, mountain leather or mountain cork, and sometimes polygorskite or pilolite. These terms are actually meaningless, because they fail to describe the true nature of the occurrences, which are usually nothing more than freak fibrous amphibole forms of no significant value except as museum specimens.
The asbestiform minerals that are of possible known value in industry are classified and designated according to their mineral-logical constituents, chemical composition and crystalline form, wherefore they have been divided into the following distinct groups:
CLASSIFIED GROUPING OF THE RECOGNISED ASBESTIFORM MINERALS
- SERPENTINE GROUP
(2) Picrolite
- AMPHIBOLE GROUP
- MONOCLINIC (1) Actinolite
(3) CROCIDOLITE
These fibrous mineral types are rarely of equal value, and indeed may not be of any commercial value at all unless they possess certain inherent properties which affect the extent of their usefulness.
The essential physical characteristics of all the asbestiform minerals are their fibrous nature, and especially the length, strength colour and degree of flexibility and elasticity of the fibres when they are extracted from the rocks that contain them. These are the principal physical factors that determine their value for industrial manufacturing purposes.
In addition, comprehensive differences in the chemical composition of the various classes of asbestos constitute factitive conditions in their commercial application. The properties sometime affected are the degree of incombustibility or infusibility of the fibre, also the effectiveness of the material in resisting heat, sea water, acids, alkalies or different chemicals.
- SERPENTINE GROUP
- Chrysotile Asbestos. Chrysotile asbestos is that part of the mineral serpentine which, in fibrous form, occurs as small veins in the massive body, and is a type that plays an important part in industry mainly because of its unique fibre structure.
Chrysotile is classed as a hydrated magnesium ortho-silicate containing a high percentage of magnesia and of water. Its chemical formula may be expressed as either;
2H20, 3MgO, 2SiO2
Or
Mg3Si2O5 (OH) 4
Depending on the not unusual diverse composition of the fibre. In addition to the silica and magnesia content, chrysotile usually contains varying amounts of ferrous and ferric iron and alumina. Lime is an uncommon constituent.
The average analyses of typical and representative samples of chrysotile from Canada, Southern Rhodesia and South Africa are given in Tables I, II and III respectively. Table IV indicates the chemical composition of different specimens of chrysotile from various fields. The variation in these analyses is probably accounted for, to a great extent, by the unavoidable presence of impurities in the specimens rather than the apparent extreme differences in actual composition, although there are several factors which together are responsible for variation, such as the locality and whether the fiber is freed from impurities in the treatment process.
Chemically, chrysotile, closely resembles serpentine, its matrix or parent rock. The composition of typical serpentine rock bearing chrysotile is shown in TABLE V.
- AMPHIBOLE GROUP
As in the case of chrysotile, the value of the asbestiform minerals depends on their fibrous structure, consequently there is little difficulty in the general identification of the useful commericial minerals in the group. It is only by their crystalline structure and chemical composition, however, that their exact identity can be established.
It has already been mentioned (chapter II) that the essential and important property of all these minerals depends on their fibrous structure. The length and strength of the fibres and other physical properties determine their value in commerce and industry.
The chemical make-up of the amphibole asbestos varieties plays a more important part than in the case of chrysotile because in some cases the amphibole types may be of special value notwithstanding a weak fibrous structure
adxasbestos removal.com 125 S Clark St Chicago, IL
