What mineral group is asbestos in?

What mineral group is asbestos in?

Silicate minerals

Asbestos
Category	Silicate minerals
Strunz classification	09.ED.15
Dana classification	71.01.02d.03
Crystal system	Orthorhombic, monoclinic

What type of metamorphic rock is chrysotile?

Chrysotile is one member of a family of sheet silicates called serpentine. Rocks that are composed principally of serpentine are called serpentinites. Serpentinites are METAMORPHIC ROCKS that are formed when hot water reacts with an igneous rock called PERIDOTITE .

What type of silicate is asbestos?

asbestos, any of several minerals that readily separate into long, flexible fibres. Chrysotile, the fibrous form of the mineral serpentine, is the best-known type and accounts for about 95 percent of all asbestos in commercial use. It is a hydrous magnesium silicate with the chemical composition of Mg3Si2O5(OH)4.

Is asbestos a metal or nonmetal?

Asbestos is a metal which is found in nature. It is a bad conductor of heat. This is due to the fact that electrons in asbestos are very firmly bonded in the atom and do not move around which results in the heat insulating properties of asbestos.

Is chrysotile a mineral or a rock?

chrysotile, (Greek: “hair of gold”), fibrous variety of the magnesium silicate mineral serpentine; chrysotile is the most important asbestos mineral.

Is serpentine a igneous rock?

Serpentine is considered by geoscientists to be the metamorphosed remains of magnesium-rich igneous rocks, most commonly the rock peridotite, from the earth’s mantle.

Where is asbestos found in the environment?

Asbestos is also present in the environment naturally, primarily in underground rock. In most areas asbestos fibers are not released into the air because the rock is too deep to be disturbed easily.

Is asbestos mined?

Asbestos is a natural mineral which is mined from the earth’s surface and is now known to be a toxic material linked to breathing disabilities and lung cancer’s such as mesothelioma.

When was asbestos used in popcorn ceilings?

Asbestos was used in spray applied textured ceilings from 1945 to at least 1980. Exposure to asbestos and the probability of developing lung disease is high in individuals who lived with these types of ceilings in their home.

When was asbestos used in Canada?

1870s: Quebec becomes the first province to mine asbestos. 1920s: The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company creates the Department of Industrial Hygiene at McGill University. Asbestos is believed to be making workers ill and causing a “dust disease” of the lungs.

What kind of rock is most likely to contain asbestos?

In nature, the fibrous asbestos is embedded in rocks, most commonly ultramafic rock (a type of igneous rock), which is found in much of California and near fault zones. Not all ultramafic rock contains asbestos, but all ultramafic rock has the potential to contain veins of asbestos [source: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry ].

Is it true that all ultramafic rock contains asbestos?

Not all ultramafic rock contains asbestos, but all ultramafic rock has the potential to contain veins of asbestos [source: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry ]. Mining areas in the eastern United States have also been discovered to contain naturally occurring asbestos.

What are the two sub-categories of asbestos?

Asbestos has 2 sub-categories. They are Asbestos- Amphibole and Asbestos- Serpentine. They are categorized as such, due to the way in which they form. Serpentines form when certain igneous rocks come in contact with just-below-boiling water. A chemical reaction takes place creating a Serpentine rock.

Is the asbestos in serpentine rock a hazard?

As long as the asbestos fibers remain stabilized in the rock, they pose no hazard. All the more reason to leave them alone and just admire both the beautiful rocks and the diverse native wildflowers that thrive on the soil created by this distinctly Californian rock.