subject: What Exactly Is Asbestos [print this page] Asbestos is the name given to a soft, rocklike mineral that is best known for being fireproof. Asbestos is mined in much the same way as coal and other minerals are. The largest asbestos mines are in Canada. Other mines are in Vermont and Arizona in the United States, in Russia, and in South Africa. Asbestos rock is very soft and can be picked apart by hand. It has strands, or fibers, that can be woven into cloth or pressed into cardboard sheets. Most asbestos is a grayish white in color, but some of it is green, brown or blue. There are hundreds of uses for asbestos. Since ancient Roman times, thousands of years ago, it has been used for lampwicks. The asbestos wick soaks up oil; the oil burns but the wick itself does not, and therefore does not need to be replaced. Asbestos curtains are used in theaters so that a fire cannot spread from the stage to the audience. Asbestos clothing is worn by firefighters in some places. Men who work with very hot or fiery materials wear asbestos gloves Asbestos mats are used in kitchens to place hot pots on. Asbestos is not only fireproof but is also a good insulating material. This means that it holds heat in and does not allow it to escape. Asbestos is used to insulate hot furnaces, boilers and pipes. It is packed between the inner and outer walls of a house, and placed under the roof, to keep the heat from escaping during the winter and to keep the heat out during the summer.
What Exactly Is Asbestos
By: David Bunch
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