Most of us, when we think of asbestos, think of the insulation in old buildings up for demolition. But asbestos fibers are naturally occurring minerals, and their natural habitats are deposits that meander all over the U.S., concentrated especially in the West.
So, is Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral?
Asbestos. Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals, which all have in common their eponymous asbestiform habit: i.e. long (roughly 1:20 aspect ratio), thin fibrous crystals, with each visible fiber composed of millions of microscopic "fibrils" that can be released by abrasion and other processes.
Is asbestos a man made?
Each of these substances is composed predominantly of silicon and oxygen; asbestos and silica are crystalline, and asbestos and man-made mineral fibers are fibers. Man-made mineral fibers and asbestos are used as insulating agents, with the former having generally replaced the latter in recent years.
What is asbestos made up of?
Asbestos is a group of minerals that occur naturally as bundles of fibers. These fibers are found in soil and rocks in many parts of the world. They are made mainly of silicon and oxygen, but they also contain other elements.