what is the chemical composition of asbestos

Best answer

Hydrated silicates

People also ask

Written By: 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 Mg 3Si 2O 5(OH) 4.

The amphibole groups of asbestos minerals were originally known as hornblende, inasmuch as they were closely related to the minerals tremolite and actinolite. This group is made up of complex silicates. Such varied types of fibers as tremolite and actinolite have widely different chemical structures.

The other types all belong to the amphibole group of minerals and include the fibrous forms of anthophyllite, amosite (grunerite), crocidolite (riebeckite), tremolite, and actinolite. Though valued since ancient times for its resistance to fire, asbestos fibre did not achieve commercial importance until the 19th century.

The amphibole group is interesting insofar as chemical aspects are concerned;, although, weak fibrous structures are present in the group.. Specific gravity of asbestos fibers ranges from 2.5 for chrysotile to 3.3 for the other types. The chemical composition of the various types of asbestos are shown in Table 2.1.