Asbestos comes from a Greek word meaning inextinguishable or inextinguishable. Six of the earth’s natural silicate minerals combine to form asbestos. Properties that these six silicate minerals share include their asbestiform shape and their crystals that are long, thin, and fibrous. Due to its excellent absorptive quality, good tensile strength and good resistance to damage from electrical, thermal and chemical attacks, asbestos was a very famous and sought after component by manufacturers and builders during the 19th century. These properties are still highly valued by manufacturers today. As of 2006, Russia has become the largest producer of asbestos, with 40.2% of the world’s total production. China ranked second with 19.9% ​​of the world share, Kazakhstan third with 13.0%, followed by Canada and Brazil with 10.3% and 9.9% respectively of the world share. A staggering estimate of around 2.3 million tons of asbestos is mined in the world today.

Asbestos is made up of six different types of minerals. These minerals fall into one of two classes, namely chrysotile and amphibole asbestos. Chrysotile asbestos is derived from serpentinite rocks. These are the most widely used asbestos fibers in the world. These fibers are valued for their crimped fibers that allow them to be more flexible than their amphibole counterpart. Chrysotile asbestos is popularly used for joint compounds, as a component of cement for corrugated roof sheets in buildings, as part of pipe linings, as a sealant for ropes in boilers, for insulation, and also for brake linings. Due to its flexible nature, it is also often spun and woven into cloth. However, its myriad of uses have been severely limited in several countries, including the US and many European nations, since its potency as a health hazard was discovered.

Amphibole asbestos, on the other hand, has fibers that are straight and needle-like. These are mainly found in southern Africa. Some of the natural sources of amphibole asbestos can also be found in Australia. Amosite, crocidolite, anthophyllite, tremolite, and actinolite are the five types of asbestos that belong to the class of amphiboles. They are often used as a component of roof tiles and in the production of low-density insulating boards. Amphibole asbestos also serves as an important ingredient in fire retardants in commercially produced thermal insulation products. Examples of these thermal insulation products include fire-rated gaskets, linings, limpet sprays, and doors.

Aside from their differences in fiber configuration, these two classes of asbestos also vary in the potency of the health hazard they pose. Studies have shown that the amphibole class of asbestos has a higher degree of potential to cause malignant mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases compared to its chrysotile counterpart. Specifically, the amosite and crocidolite variants have been touted as the most dangerous to humans due to their ability to persist for longer periods in the lungs. All types of asbestos have also been found to cause the development of tumors in humans and animals alike. Malignant mesothelioma is the most commonly caused tumor.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that is valued for its flexibility and potential for a wide variety of uses. However, due to its high degree of potency as a health hazard, its uses have been severely limited. Its use has even been completely banned in several countries.