Monday, December 26, 2016

For Good Asbestos Chicago Is Worth Visiting

By Jessica Hughes


Asbestos refers to a collection of six naturally oavailable silicate minerals. All the six minerals have eponymous asbestiform habit in common. That implies that the crystals have long, thin fibrous crystals that contain several millions of microscopic fibrils each. Processes such as abrasion usually lead to the release of these fibrils into the air. When in need of asbestos Chicago is the best location to visit.

Asbestos is known and classified by the color of the fibers that make it up. Five main colors are in existence, that is, red, green, white, brown, and blue. People started to mine these mineral a very long time ago, as far as four thousand years back. The mining was done on small-scale, with large-scale mining beginning in the 19th century. Large-scale mining started because desirable qualities were recognized in the fibers.

Resistance to heat, electricity and fire, affordability, sound absorption, and average tensile strength are all qualities that led to increase in popularity. The insulation property made the material very useful in insulating homes and electrical components. Ability to resist burning by fire was only possible when the material is mixed into cement or woven to make fabrics or mats.

Popularity of asbestos rose exponentially because of the qualities named above. The popularity did not drop, but instead continued to rise throughout the twentieth century before undergoing a sharp decline. The decline was as a result of research findings that indicated that the material caused several health conditions when one inhaled the fibrils for long periods. In reaction, many governments banned its production and subsequent use in the construction industry.

Asbestos can be categorized into two major types, that is, amphibole and serpentine. Several sub-categories exist under these two types. Serpentine only has one subtypes under it, and that is chrysotile. Chrysotile is extracted from serpentinite stones which are available in many places worldwide. Chrysotile has white fibers as seen under microscope.

Chrysotile is the most commonly used type of asbestos in the United States. It accounts for more than 95 percent of all asbestos used in buildings in the United States. It has more flexibility compared to amphibole varieties, which allows it to be woven to make fabric. Its use dominated in the making of roofs, cement, floors, walls, and ceilings, especially in outdoor environments. Other items and structures that were made using Chrysotile are gaskets, residential shingles, floor tiles, fire barriers, brake linings, pipe insulations, and high-temperature equipment.

Members classified under amphibole class are amosite, anthophyllite, actinolite, tremolite, and crocidolite. Amosite is brown in color and is largely manufactured in South Africa. Crocidolite is fibrous in nature and occurs in huge amounts in Bolivia, Australia, and Southern Africa. Crocidolite appears blue in color when observed under microscope.

It is now public knowledge that asbestos is a carcinogen to people and even animals. There are many serious health hazards that the substance is linked to. Amosite and crocidolite get considered to be the most dangerous to human health. The others are also just as dangerous. Asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma is caused in people by chryotile.




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