Asbestos

Asbestos is an incombustible mineral of a flax-like fibrous texture. It includes chrysotile, also known as white asbestos, and several kinds of amphibole, such as amosite, also known as brown asbestos, and crocidolite, also known as blue asbestos. It is a heat resistant fibrous silicate which has been manufactured into cloth, paper, lamp-wick, steam-pipes, gas-stoves, &c. It is also used in fire-resistant and insulating materials such as brake linings. However, it poses danger to health caused by breathing it highly carcinogenic asbestos particles. Since it has the potential to cause cancer and a lung disease called asbestosis, it is used under stringent control.

Nearby pages
Asbestosis, Asbjornsen, Asbury Park, Ascalon, Ascanius