Tags: Chemical Substance, Mineral.
Asbestos (pronounced /æsˈbɛstəs/ or /æzˈbɛstəs/) is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals which all have in common their eponymous asbestiform habit: long (roughly 1:20 aspect ratio) thin fibrous crystals.Asbestos mining began more than 4000 years ago but did not start large-scale until the end of the 19th century when manufacturers and builders used asbestos because of its desirable physical properties: sound absorption average tensile strength its resistance to fire heat electrical and chemical damage and affordability.
