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Re: Resistance to Acid

Posted By: Bill
Posted Date: Jan 07, 2008 (01:41 PM)

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Hi, Randy:

It seems the Amianthus is a Greek word used for �a soft variety of asbestos� or �a type of asbestos with thin silky fibers.�

While it is true that in some literature they state that Aminanthus were from Tremolite, a type of amphibole but in other literature they clearly state that aminanthus originates from serpentine.

Therefore it seems this word is basically a generic word and not a specific term used for the classification of asbestos. It is also possible that such term can be used for either Tremolite or serpentine depending on the types of fibers found on such rocks. Many literature describe tremolite asbestos as �sharp, needle-like�.

According to

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/Asbestos/more_about_asbestos/what_is_asbestos/
�Regulatory agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recognize six asbestos minerals: chrysotile, a serpentine mineral with long and flexible fibers; and five amphibole (with relatively brittle crystalline fibers) minerals, actinolite asbestos, tremolite asbestos, anthophyllite asbestos, crocidolite asbestos, and amosite asbestos. �

You have also to be careful that many jade carvings, whether they were made with nephrite (amphibole) or serpentine, their materials are not in the natural forms of asbestos and therefore their physical properties may be different than that of their asbestos forms. If such jade carvings were indeed in the form of asbestos, that many jade collectors would have already contracted lung diseases.

From some of the more scientific studies I have read so far, there is a clear indication that chrysotile (serpentine) asbestos is clearly more acid soluble than any of the five amphibole asbestos. Therefore that is why serpentine asbestos had been chosen for industrial uses. It is also true that serpentine asbestos is harder to be inhaled by the human (see reference below) and once inhaled into the body its duration of stay may be shorter than that of amphibole asbestos due to the fact that the time takes it to be dissolved in body acid is shorter than that of amphibole asbestos.

Since I am no expert in asbestos, my findings may not be correct.

There is indeed an article in which both nephrite and serpentine were treated with sulfuric acid under different temperatures. However, I need to read it again before I can make any concrete conclusions because basically it only talks about the �whitening effect� or not their solubility in acid.

Bill
For more references:

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-asbestos.html?Q=Amianthus

�Ancient civilizations referred to asbestos cloth as amianthus (from the Greek word meaning � undefiled �), because it could be cleaned by throwing it into a fire and all varieties of asbestos have great heat-resistant properties; varieties with fibres.�

http://www.medicineword.com/Amianthus.shtml

Amianthus \Am`i*an"thus\, n. [L. amiantus, Gr. ? ? (lit.,
unsoiled stone) a greenish stone, like asbestus; 'a priv. + ?
to stain, to defile; so called from its incombustibility.]
(Min.)
Earth flax, or mountain flax; a soft silky variety of
asbestus.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/amianthus
am�i�an�thus

An asbestos with fine, silky fibers.

http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861585155/amianthus.html

am�i�an�thus [ �mmee �nthəss ]

noun

Definition:

type of asbestos: a type of asbestos with thin silky fibers
[Early 17th century. Via Latin< Greek amiantos "undefiled" < miainein "defile"]

http://www.mesorfa.org/exposure/asbestos-types.php
�Chrysotile Asbestos
Also called white asbestos, chrysotile asbestos is unique in that it has a serpentine fiber-formation (curled fibers) compared to the amphibole fiber-formation (straight, needle-like fibers) of the other five asbestos types. Chrysotile asbestos is less friable (less-likely to be inhaled) than other types of asbestos. Chrysotile asbestos is less likely to be inhaled and therefore viewed by many to be the safest of the asbestos types.�
http://www.farlang.com/gemstones/gratacap-geology-new-york/page_157
AMIANTHUS, in serpentine boulders Amity Street, and in West 58th Street; confounded probably with chrysotile, which is a fibrous serpentine.
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/EP0344563A.html
�A process for inactivating industrial wastes of chrysotile asbestos which has the peculiarity of consisting in subjecting the industrial wastes of amianthus or fibrous chrysotile asbestos to heating at a temperature no lower than 580C to eliminate the water present in the molecule and convert the fibrous chrysotile asbestos into forsterite.�
http://books.google.com/books?id=WA0RAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA14&lpg=PA14&dq=serpentine+amianthus&source=web&ots=IgHV36M4RJ&sig=uubFobUOnYeNyzbOBhIT0b6Lsfg

�AMIANTHUS USUALLY OCCURS IN SERPENTINE.�

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