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Asbestos Minerals in
S. Speil and J. P. Leineweber
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Published in Environmental Research, Volume 2, Number 3, April 1969
Copyright 1969 by Academic Press, Inc.
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ASBESTOS MINERALS IN MODERN TECHNOLOGY
S. Speil and J. P. Leineweber Johns-Manvilie Research & Engineering Center
Manvilie. New Jersey U.S.A.
INTRODUCTION
Asbestos is a generic term for a variety-^o-f hydrated silicate . minerals which have nnft^iimnn::aH:r.iL^P f namely, the ability,
to_be_spajaejj_jjafco. relatively soff f silky fibers. Although the name is ordinarily associated with those varieties which have technologic importance, it is applicable to all minerals which fit the above description. The term "asbestiform minerals" is perhaps most descriptive.
The known varieties of asbestiform minerals can be divided
into two main classes on the
nf ,.the.i.r-efY&taL strucr__
tures:
serpentine and amphiboles.
The sole jnembej- of the
serpentine class is chrysotlle asbestos^, which is by fhrr~Ehe
mo'st common-` Of the "asbestiform minerals.
It. accounts for
more than 95 per cent of the asbestos fiber prnduoexi-Qd.ay.
There are five recognized asbestiform varieties of amphibolej^ci^Dcidolite, amosite, anthophyll i te r-----tremetirfee--and actinojjte~I-----Adrtliough the Amphiboles are common rock-forming miner als, the asbestiform varieties are much less abundant than chrysotile-
The physical and chemical properties of the asbestiform min
erals can be directly related to their crystal structure and
chemical composition.
In turn, the physical and chemical
properties are responsible for the commercial importance of
asbestos. It is understandable, therefore, that great empha
sis has been placed on the elucidation of the structure and
composition of these important minerals.
Several comprehensive reviews on the asbestiform minerals
have been
published in
recent years,
including
N. W. Hendry(30)/
r. Gaze^25),
A. A. Hodgson133)
and
W. A. Deer, R. A. Howie, and J. Zussman^17).
The objective
of this paper is to bring this information up to date with
particular emphasis on recent developments concerning the
physics and chemistry of the asbestiform minerals.
In addi
tion, the uses of asbestos will be discussed briefly in rela
tion to the properties of the individual species.
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OCCURRENCE
V
The epigenesis and occurrence of the asbestiform minerals have
been the subject of considerable geologic and petrologic re
search. Chrysotile and amphibole fibers are found in en
tirely different geologic formations. Chrysotile was most
probably formed as a result of two separate metamorphic
changes in ultrabasic rocks of volcanic origin.
The first
stage involved the formation of serpentine by the hydrother
mal alteration of the original rock. At some later time the
chrysotile was formed in cracks and fissures in the rock by
recrystallization of the serpentine, again by an aqueous
solution and reprecipitation process.
In most cases, chryso
tile occurs as "cross fibers" which are oriented in a paral
lel array across the veins in the serpentine rock as shown in
Figure 1.
Occasional occurrences of "slip fiber" are found
in which the fiber is oriented parallel to the vein as shown
in Figure 2.
A notable exception to the normal mode of occurrence of
chrysotile is the fiber found in the New Idria serpentinite of Western California and at Stragari, Yugoslavians). The New
Idria fiber is generally referred to as Coalinga fiber.
The
great bulk of this deposit consists of soft powdery pellet
like agglomerates of chrysotile as shown in Figure 3.
The
material may be the result of intensive crushing and pulveri
zation during or after serpentinization.
In addition to its
unusual mode of occurrence, Coalinga chrysotile is also un
usual from the standpoint of its physical structure.
This
feature will be discussed in the appropriate section of this
paper.
The genesis of the amphibole fibers is not as clear-cut as
that of chrysotile.
Their name, taken from the Greek word
amphibolos, meaning ambiguous, is a very apt choice. Figure
4 is a typical example of the mode of occurrence for crocido-
lite which is found in the banded ironstones of the Transvaal
system of South Africa.
They are metamorphized rocks of sed
imentary origin, which accounts for the variability in compo
sition of the host rocks and consequently of the fiber.
The
only significant occurrence of amosite is also found in this
area.
Crocidolite is found in other areas, including Bolivia
and Western Australia.
Asbestiform anthophyllite is found in many places throughout
the world, but there are only a few deposits of commercial
importance in Finland and the United States.
Tremolite and
actinolite are the result of metamorphism of carbonate rocks.
They are widely distributed in nature, but of little commer
cial significance.
Tremolite is a very common contaminant of
commercial talc.
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CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
Chrysotile. The crystal structure of chrysotile asbestos was first determined by Warren and Bragg (72) an(j iater elucidated
by Warren and Herring(69).
These investigators determined
that the mineral has a layered-type structure similar to the
minerals of the kaolinite group.
The basis of the structure
is an infinite silica sheet (Si205)n in which all the sili
ca tetrahedra are pointing in the same direction.
Attached
to one side of this sheet is a brucite
Mg(OH)2
layer in
which two out of every three hydroxyls are replaced by the apical oxygens of the silica tetrahedra. The result is a double sheet as shown in Figure 5. The mismatch in the di
mensions of the silica and brucite sheets introduces a strain
in the structure. Better matching of the layers and relief of the strain can be accomplished in three ways.
1. Substitution of larger ions in the silica sheet or smal ler ions in the brucite sheet.
2. Distortion of the octahedral brucite network or of the tetrahedral silica network.
3. Curvature of the sheet with the brucite layer on the outer surface.
Ever since the first electron micrographs were published
showing the apparent tubular structure of chrysotile(7, 50,
70), there has been considerable controversy over the mor
phology of the fibers.
Whittaker(76) t by means of careful
X-ray diffraction studies, demonstrated that the lattice was
definitely curved.
Although he was unable to show whether the structure was a
cylindrical arc, a closed circular cylinder, or a cylindrical
spiral, he favored a spiral structure.
The tubular concept
was supported further when Maser, Rice and Klug(44) published
the electron micrograph of Figure 6 showing an end-on view of
a chrysotile fiber bundle.
The fibrils were definitely cy
lindrical and included many which appeared- to be pairs of
concentric cylinders.
A recent paper by K. Yada<81) has furnished what appears to
be the final answer to the structure of chrysotile fibrils.
By means of high resolution electron microscopy, he was able
to observe the actual crystal lattice planes both parallel
and perpendicular to the fiber axis. These pictures. Figures
7 and 8, show that most of the fibers have a hollow cylin
drical form.
The lattice planes have a multispiral arrange-
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ment confirming the prediction of Whittaker (76) # -Also appar-*
ent in several of Yada's pictures is the presence of crystal
lographic dislocations which strongly suggest that the basic
structural unit consists of a single magnesia-silica sheet, rather than a double sheet as previously postulated by most
authors.
Yada's observations also confirm Whittaker's hypo
thesis that the basic spiral element consists of five silicamagnesia units with approximately 10 silica-magnesia units
forming the 70 A wall of a single fibril.
Occasional fibers were observed which were solid rather than
hollow.
Although these fibers are relatively common in the
samples, they are not enough to account for the discrepancy
between the measured and calculated densities reported by Pundsack(55) .
One final point should be made about the Yada micrographs. The outside surface of most of the fibers shows the presence of highly disorganized or amorphous material. This is the result of damage to the outer layer of fibrils by the elec tron beam under the conditions of observation.
There are two other serpentine minerals found in chrysotile-
bearing rock: lizardite and antigorite(20).
They both have
the same chemical composition and the same fundamental sheet
structure as chrysotile. The differences between these mine
rals reflects the way the strain in the crystal lattice has been relieved. Lizardite, which is the principal constituent
of massive serpentine, generally has an extremely fine
grained, platy morphology, visible only under the electron
microscope in most specimens.
Its structure has not yet
been elucidated, but X-ray diffraction patterns
indicate
flat rather than curved sheets.
Antigorite, on the other
hand, does show evidence of curved sheets.
Two of its unit
cell dimensions are equal to chrysotile, but the third is
much larger and variable.
This third (b) dimension can vary
from 18.5 A to as large as 100 A, compared to the 9.2 A value
for chrysotile.
It is believed that the structure consists
of undulating sheets the periodicity of which corresponds to
the variable unit cell dimension.
Amphiboles. The basic crystal form of the amphibole minerals
is less complicated than that of the serpentines.
The basic
structural unit is a double silica chain (Si^Oj^). As in the
chrysotile sheets, all of the silica tetrahedra point in one
direction.
These chains are paired, "back-to-back", with a
layer of hydrated cations in between to satisfy the negative
charges of the silica chains.
The final structure is formed
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by the stacking of these sandwich ribbons in an- ordered arc
ray. A pictorial concept of this structure is shown in Figure
9. The various minerals in the amphibole groups are charac
terized by the cations which occur in the structure.
The
principal cations are magnesium, iron, calcium and sodium.
Since the bonding between these ribbons is rather weak, the
crystals are easily cleaved parallel to the ribbons along
A-A. If the cleavage is very facile, the result is an asbes-
tiform mineral.
For each variety of asbestiform amphibole, there is a corres
ponding massive form with a different mineral name. Normally
the asbestiform varieties are not found along with the mas
sive counterparts.
Undoubtedly, the local geo-chemical con
ditions extant at the time of formation contributed to the
relative ease of cleavage of any specific deposit and, there
fore, to its commercial utility. The massive and asbestiform
varieties have the same chemical compositions and X-ray crys
tal structures.
They can be distinguished by their physical
properties and by petrographic examination.
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
The chemical composition of commercially available chryso-
tiles from various locations are shown in Table 1.
For com
parison, analyses of lizardite and antigorite are included.
In all cases, it is apparent that the composition
differs
very little from the idealized composition of Mg3(Si2<)5)
(OH)4.
The impurities which are present may be part of the
crystal structure or due to associated minerals.
The most
common impurity is iron.
This can be in the form of ferrous
(Fe++) or ferric (Fe+++) ions.
It is generally assumed that
the Fe+++ can be substituted for silicon in the silica
sheets, and the Fe++ can be substituted for the magnesium in
the brucite layer.
The next most common impurity in chryso-
tile is aluminum.
Since aluminum can assume either tetra
hedral or octahedral coordination it can be substituted in
either the silica or brucite layers.
Other impurities, gen
erally found to be associated with chrysotile
in lesser
amounts than iron or aluminum, are calcium, chromium, nickel,
manganese, sodium and potassium.
The ionic radii of the ions commonly associated with chryso
tile are given in Table 2.
Since these ions vary consider
ably in size, they can have an effect on the strains which
exist in the chrysotile lattice.
Ions which are larger than
silicon and smaller than magnesium will tend to relieve the
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strain wheri substituted in the respective layers-.
Aluminum
fits this requirement for either layer, since it is inter
mediate in size between silicon and magnesium.
Ferric iron
is larger than silicon so it will help relieve the strain
when substituted in the silica layer.
Ferrous iron in the
brucite layer will increase the strain because of its larger
size.
Finally, it is improbable the very large ions such as
the alkali or alkaline earths can truly be substituted to any
significant extent in the brucite layer; and when present in
appreciable quantities may exist as "interlayer" cations be
tween the primary layers.
Various authors have "normalized"
chemical analyses of chrysotile, indicating the probable lo
cation of the impurity ions in the crystal structure.
The chemical composition of the asbestiform amphiboles is
more complex than that of chrysotile. The idealized chemical
formulas for the various species are given below.
In these
formulas, when cations are written in parentheses without sub
scripts, a variable composition is indicated with the most
aoundant species first.
Crocidolite Amosite
(Na2Fe3++Fe2+++) Si822(OH)
- (Fe++ , Mg)7
Sig022(OH)
Anthophy Hi te - (Mg, Fe++)?
Si822(0H)
Tremolite Actinolite
- Ca2Mg5 - Ca2(Mg, Fe++)5
Si822(0H) si822(0H)
The range of chemical analyses for these varieties of amphi
boles are listed in Table 3.
Detailed analyses can be found
in various publications(17, 23, 32).
The considerable varia
tion in composition which can occur is readily noted.
The
actual identification of a particular amphibole species may
depend on which of the idealized compositions the sample in
question most closely represents. This variability in compo
sition is a direct consequence of the fact that the structure
can accommodate many different ions in the space between the
silica ribbons, and the variable nature of the host rocks can
contribute different ions to this structure.
Accessory Minerals. The analysis of asbestiform minerals is
often complicated by the fact that the samples may contain
fragments of the host rock and its associated minerals, and
also that other minerals may be intimately intergrown in the
fiber bundles.
Contamination due to host rock fragments is
common in commercial fibers.
In the case of chrysotile' as
bestos, the most common contaminants are the other serpentine
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minerals--lizardite and antigorite. While these species have
similar overall compositions, the trace element analyses
could be influenced by their presence.
Other minerals which
are found in serpentine masses, and which could be found in
commercial chrysotile fibers, are: magnetite, brucite, chro
mite, calcite, magnesite, olivine, pyroxene, tremolite, ac-
tinolite, chlorite, talc, and chalcedony. The proportions of
these minerals will vary considerably with the location and
nature of the deposit.
For a specific commercial mine, the
nature and content of the impurities in the ore will be rela
tively constant. Neighboring deposits in the same serpentine
belt may differ considerably in their impurities.
Several
good publications are available(19, 27, 45) which describe
the geology and mineralogy of the various
chrysotile pro
ducing areas.
Other than lizardite and antigorite, the most common miner
als associated with chrysotile are magnetite and brucite.
Both of these species often are found grown within the fi
bers. In many occurrences, the ends of the fiber bundles are
capped v/ith a magnetite-rich layer of rock.
A mineralogic
curiosity which is found in some chrysotile deposits includ
ing the Jeffrey mine at Asbestos, Quebec, is a fibrous form
of magnesium hydroxide which has been given the name nema-
lite(9).
These fibers usually occur in bundles which are
often several feet long.
Reimschussel (60) studied the association of chromium and ni
ckel with carefully separated components of ore from the Jef
frey mine at Asbestos, Quebec.
Using a combination of chem
ical dispersion and magnetic separation, the asbestos was di
vided into fibrillar chrysotile, serpentine, and magnetic
concentrates.
All of the chromium was found to be associated with the mag
netite phase, most probably as an isomorphous substitute for
ferric iron.
When chromium appeared in the chrysotile or
serpentine fractions, it was associated with the last traces
of magnetite which were impossible to remove.
Most of the nickel in the ore is also found in the magnetic
fraction. A small amount may be associated with the magne
tite, but the majority occurs as a separate phase.
This
phase is the iron-nickel alloy, awaruite, whose composition
ranges from FeNi2 to FeNi3.
It can be separated by a dif
ferential solution method proposed by E. H. Nickel^
. Fin
ally, a small amount of nickel, about 0.008 per cent,
is
found to be present in the chrysotile lattice, most probably
as a substitute for magnesium.
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Organic Impurities.
The association of benzo(a)pyrene and
other organic impurities with asbestiform minerals from var
ious sources was investigated by Reimschussel'^0).
The total
amount of extractable organic matter was determined by long
term Soxhlet extraction with cyclohexane.
After drying and
weighing, the organic residue was analyzed for benzo(a)pyrene
by thin layer chromatographic techniques.
The fibers examined included North American and African
chrysotiles, crocidolite, amosite, and anthophyllite.
All
samples contained measurable amounts of extractable organic
matter, ranging from 40 to 500 parts per million.
There was,
however, no correlation between the amount of organic matter
and the amount of benzo(a)pyrene present.
The Canadian and
United States fibers (11 chrysotiles and one anthophyllite)
contained no detectable benzo(a)pyrene.
The detection limit
varied with the amount and complexity of composition of the
extracted organic matter.
It was as low as 0.02 parts per
billion and generally below 5 parts per billion.
All of the
fibers from Africa and Finland, on the other hand, did con
tain benzo(a)pyrene. The highest concentration (150 parts per
billion) was found in crocidolite from the Cape Province,
South Africa.
Crocidolite and amosite from the Transvaal
Province contained 12 to 18 parts per billion;
Rhodesian
chrysotile and Finnish anthophyllite contained less than 10
parts per billion.
These results are in general agreement with those reported by Harington(2) except that Harington found no benzo(a)pyrene in
African chrysotiles.
The explanation of this difference may
lie in the fact that Harington used virgin samples collected
in the field, whereas Reimschussel analyzed typical commer
cial products.
This could mean that at least some of the
benzo(a)pyrene is introduced during the processing or ship
ping of the fiber.
SURFACE CHARACTERISTICS
The surface characteristics of the asbestiform minerals; are
very important in relation to their commercial uses and to
their interaction with whatever environment they may be ex
posed to.
Most of the discussion relates to chrysotile be
cause the surface characteristics of the asbestiform amphi-
bole minerals have received much less attention.
The external surface of chrysotile fibers consists of magne sium hydroxide and, therefore, it is not surprising that the fibers behave in some respects as though they were magnesium
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hydroxide.
For example, Pundsack(53) determined that the pH
of a suspension of chrysotile in carbon dioxide-free dis
tilled water is 10.33.
This compares to a value of 10.37 for
a magnesium hydroxide suspension under the same conditions.
Pundsack and Reimschussel also determined the "solubility
product constants" for various chrysotile fibers(56). The
values ranged from 1.0 x 10"H to 3 x 10~12 an(j correspond
quite closely to a value of 1.9 x 10~H reported for magne
sium hydroxide(64)_
Surface Charges.
The electrokinetic behavior of chrysotile
is another manifestation of the magnesium hydroxide surface. Martinez and Zucker(^2) studied the effect of pH on the sur
face charge, or zeta potential of asbestos ore body minerals
by the streaming potential method.
Figure 10 shows the com
plete pH vs zeta potential curve obtained by these authors.
They found the isoelectric point of chrysotile to be 11.8.
At lower pH values, the surface charge is positive; above the
isoelectric point, the charge becomes negative. They attri
bute the sharp increase in potential which is obtained as the
pH was lowered from 7 to 3 to removal of hydroxyl groups from
the surface and resultant exposure of the magnesium ions. Be
low ph 3, the magnesium ions are removed and the silica sur
face exposed, accounting for the decrease in zeta potential
in this range.
The electrokinetic behavior of lizardite, also shown in Fig
ure 10, is significantly different from that of chrysotile.
It has an isoelectric point of 9.7 with a much smaller charge
than chrysotile.
Furthermore, the sharp rise in potential,
between pH 7 and 3, is not found. This would be in accord
with the proposed undulating structure in which both silica
and magnesium hydroxide, surfaces are exposed.
Chemically, the surface of the amphiboles is similar to that
of silica.
It is polar in nature, but not as highly polar as
chrysotile.
The electrokinetic charge is negative and small
er in magnitude than the positive charge of chrysotile.
Iso
electric points have not been well established, although it
is presumed that the charge would become positive at very low
pH.
Most materials have a negative surface charge in aqueous sys
tems.
Since chrysotile has a positive charge, it will at
tract or be attracted to most dispersed materials.
This
characteristic of chrysotile manifests itself in many of the
commercial applications.
In addition, the highly reactive
surface causes many interesting surface reactions to take place which are intermediate between simple adsorption and
true chemical reaction. '.For the sake of better continuity,
these interactions will be.discussed along with the chemical
properties of the fiber.
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Surface Area.
The specific surface area of chrysotile asbes-
tos as determined by gas adsorption measurements has been
found to vary considerably with the physical condition of the
fibers.
For example, Pundsack(54) reported that
pulling
fibers from a block of crude Jeffrey chrysotile fiber with
tweezers gave products with surface areas, as determined
by nitrogen adsorption, ranging from 4 to 12 sq meters/gram (m^/g) depending on how thoroughly the fibers were pulled
apart. When the fibers were opened further in a Wiley Mill,
the comparable surface area was more than 30 m2/g.
Values in
excess of 50 m2/g were obtained when the fibers were soaked
in an Aerosol OT solution to separate individual fibrils.
'
Naumann and Dresher(48) studied the surface areas of various
chrysotiles in more detail.
They also found a considerable
variation in surface area with the degree of fiber opening
for most fibers.
The two exceptions were the chrysotile from
New Idria (Coalinga) and Stragari.
In these cases, there was
very little variation with the degree of opening.
Theoreti
cal surface areas of the chemically dispersed fibers calcu
lated from measurements of fibril diameter distributions
were in good agreement with the measured values, as shown
be low.
'
Fibers from
Average Observed SA Calculated SA55 Fibril Diameter
Canadian Grade 7R
50 m2/g
55 m2/g
375 A
New Idria
78 m2/g
76 m2/g
275 A
The authors propose, that for those fibers whose surface
areas are sensitive to the degree of opening, the voids be
tween fibers are partially filled with solid material, and
therefore not accessible to nitrogen or other gases.
In the
case of the New Idria fibers, these interfibril voids are
available for adsorption.
In either case, the intrafibril
voids are not available.
Several workers
48, 54) have attempted measurements of
the pore size distribution of various asbestos fibers, in
cluding chrysotile and amphiboles. .The methods have included
water vapor adsorption, nitrogen absorption and mercury pene
tration.
Most nitrogen adsorption'' results show a peak
in
the vicinity of 20 angstroms which has been interpreted as a
measure of the radius of the pores within the fibrils.
Harris (29), however, points out that this may be an artifact
of the measuring method and is open to serious question.
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The surface area of amphibole asbestos is considerably lower'
than chrysotile;
it does not exhibit any unusual porosity.
Patterson and Thompson(52) reported that sawh blocks of Wit-
tenoom crocidolite have surface areas around 5 m2/g.
This
increases to between 7 and 8 on teasing fibers from the
block. The fully fiberized material had a value of 14,8 m2/g.
Adsorption.
The adsorption of various materials on the sur
face of chrysotile has been studied from both the liquid and
vapor states.
Young and Healy (84) studied the adsorption of
several vapors on chrysotile.
They found that nitrogen, ar
gon, carbon monoxide, acetylene, n-butane, trimethyl amine,
and dimethyl amine all gave surface areas of 9.7 m2/g on
grade 7R Canadian fiber.
Ammonia and water vapor, however,
gave surface areas of 17.6 m2/g for the same sample. The dif
ference could not be explained in terms of chemisorption or
other specific interactions because all the isotherms were
completely reversible.
Their conclusion was that the ex
tremely polar water and ammonia molecules could be adsorbed
on portions of the surface which are not available to less
polar molecules.
They further concluded that some of the
pores in chrysotile may be plugged with water, and that these
plugs are permeable to polar vapors only.
Young and Healy also report a similar anomolous sorption of
water vapor on antigorite, a non-fibrous serpentine.
Antho-
phyllite and tremolite, the only amphiboles studied, did not
exhibit this behavior.
The adsorption of various organic compounds on chrysotile
from both the liquid and vapor phases is currently being
studied by Weeks and Leineweber(75)_
The fiber used in this
study was specially air cleaned to remove most of the non-
fibrous material and extracted with carbon tetrachloride to
remove organic contaminants.
Ethanol, benzene, and hexane
all exhibit normal isotherms on chrysotile.
The
surface
areas, estimated from the isotherms are ethanol, 18.8 m /g;
benzene, 11.2 m2/g; and hexane, 9.6 m2/g.
The nitrogen sur
face area is 21.2 m2/g.
The corresponding heats of adsorp
tion are ethanol, 13 kcal/g; benzene, 11 kcal/g;
and hexane
9 kcal/g.
Zettlemoyer, et al<85), reported 16 kcal/g for the
heat of adsorption of water on chrysotile.
These adsorption data support the obvious premise that the polar surface of chrysotile: has a greater affinity for polar molecules than for non-polar, in general agreement with the findings of Young and Healy1.
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Adsorption from solution is complicated by the- concur-
rent adsorption of solute and of solvent, making the inter
pretation of the isotherms quite difficult. Weeks and Leine-
weber studied the following binary systems on the same fiber
used for the vapor adsorption studies: benzene - ethanol;
benzene - tert-butanol; benzene - hexane; benzene - naphtha
lene; benzene - anthracene; hexane - naphthalene.
Typical
adsorption isotherms obtained from these systems are shown in
Figure 11.
These isotherms of concentration change are plots
of the "apparent" or differential adsorption of the "solute"
(the component whos.e concentration is indicated on the ab
scissa) vs concentration.
These concentration changes were
determined by means of a differential refractometer.
The ex
tremes in the types of isotherms obtained are illustrated by
the benzene-ethanol system and the hexane-benzene system.
In
the former, the apparent adsorption of ethanol is positive at
low concentrations and negative at high
concentrations,
whereas in the latter system, the apparent adsorption of hex
ane is negative throughout.
A qualitative interpretation of
these effects is that the affinity of the surface for ethanol
and benzene are essentially equal, while benzene is more
strongly adsorbed than hexane.
The affinity of the surface
for the compounds studied can be listed in the following de
creasing order:
x
ethanol = butanol = benzene ^-naphthalene> anthracene > hexane
Quantitative interpretation of these isotherms by the methods
proposed by Kipling and Tester(36) was impossible
because
sufficient information was not available to be able to ex
tract the individual isotherms.
CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Asbestos has often been touted as the "indestructible min
eral". In reality, this is far from the case. As far back as 1885(67) the reactivity of chrysotile with acids was recog
nized and in 1890 Clark and Schneider(16) found that chryso
tile was the most susceptible to acid attack of all the ser
pentine minerals.
Nagy and Bates(47) and Nagy (46) confirmed
this conclusion with electron microscopic and X-ray diffrac
tion studies on ac,id-treated chrysotile and antigorite. After
treatment with IN HCl for one hour at 100C, the chrysotile
X-ray diffraction pattern completely disappeared while that of
antigorite was relatively unchanged.
Electron micrographs of
the reaction products showed that chrysotile was very severely
etched and had lost its tubular morphology.
Faust
and
Nagy(21, 22) studied the differential solubility of chrysotile
DPMC-05290
LAM 008800
IH*ngft>rmiii'\Tirib&itV T jj'i i
lifim
'uSiss^eim
UHiMi
rnmrnKmmmikammab^mmm
and serpentine in more detail. They confirmed that chrysotile
is almost completely destroyed in IN HC1 for one hour at 95C,
while antigorite is almost untouched under the same condi
tions.
The reactivity of lizardite is intermediate between
that of chrysotile and antigorite.
Badollet(2f 3) summarized the available information on the
stability of asbestiform minerals.
Strong acids decompose
chrysotile rapidly with the removal of all MgO and a total
weight loss of 60 per cent. The residue which remains after
acid attack consists of amorphous silica which retains a very
fragile fibrous morphology.
In contrast to the sensitivity of chrysotile, the amphibole
fibers are much more resistant to acids. There are, however,
significant differences between these fibers.
The data in
Table 4 shows that anthophyllite, crocidolite, and tremolite
are significantly more resistant to acid attack than amosite
and actinolite.
Twenty-two days at room temperature had es
sentially the same effect as the 2 hr reflux exposure. All of
the fibers were relatively stable in 25 per cent sodium hy
droxide solutions.
The high solubility of actinolite was at
tributed to impurities in the sample.
Hiscock(33) m0re recently studied the rate of decomposition of
asbestiform fibers in boiling 4N hydrochloric acid.
He found
the following relative order of stability as shown in Figure
12.
tremolite > anthophyllite> crocidolite>actinolite > amosite
chrysotile
After an initial rapid weight loss, the rate of attack de
creases radically with tremolite and anthophyllite showing ex
tremely low rates. Recently Weeks
studied the rate of de
composition of chrysotile fibers less than one micron in dia
meter in 0.12N hydrochloric acid at 37C.
Decomposition was
determined by analysis for magnesium which had gone into solu
tion.
The decomposition is relatively slow under these con
ditions as shown in Figure 13.
The straight line indicates
that the decomposition is diffusion controlled.
This con
clusion is justifiable because extraction of the magnesium
from the chrysotile structure leaves a residue of silica
through which both the acid and magnesium ions must diffuse
for the decomposition to continue.
DPMC-05291
LAM 008801
"'V
'~iMrrr
'^if*tir>rfaiaa^aatMMaa
-14-
It is also interesting to note that extrapolation to zero time v
indicates an initial decomposition of approximately 6 per
cent.
This decomposition probably represents the immediate
dissolution of the surface magnesium hydroxide.
X-ray dif
fraction analysis of the 6-1/2 hr reaction product showed no
difference from the original material in spite of the fact
that it was more than 50 per cent decomposed.
The acid appa
rently attacks the surface of the fibrils leaving an unreacted
core which diffracts X-rays the same as chrysotile.
This is
in accord with the observation that chrysotile fibers can be
readily fibrillized by agitation in weak acid.
Electron mi
crographs of the reaction product show an etched surface on
typical chrysotile tubes. The residual silica on these par
tially decomposed fibrils is probably responsible for this
etched effect.
The very rapid initial reaction of the surface hydroxyls was also noted by Pundsack^6) during the stepwise titration of
cnrysotile with 0.5N hydrochloric acid at 100C.
Ample time
was allowed for equilibrium to be attained after each incre
ment of acid.
The titration curve. Figure 14, exhibits sev
eral inflection points.
The first increments of acid cause a
sharp decrease in pH from an initial value of 10 to about 6.8.
This point corresponds to the reaction of about 4.5 per cent
of the fiber with acid.
After the first inflection the curve
levels off until about 67 per cent of the fiber is reacted and
finally tails off to a pH of 2.3 as the reaction is completed. Pundsack estimates that about 7 per cent of the total hydrox
yls exist on the surface, and that 67 per. cent decomposition
represents reaction of all the structural hydroxyls.
The
final 33 per cent reaction represents reaction with the silica
gel formed by the process.
The chemical reactivity of crocidolite has been studied in considerable detail by Thompson(68) using fibers in the dia
meter range of 0.05 to 0.15 microns.
In a Soxhlet extractor,
water removed 4 per cent of the silica and 6 per cent of the
sodium ions.
These values correspond to a depth of attack of
1 and 1-1/2 unit cells, respectively.
Similarly, in boiling
alkali the attack is limited to the surface layer.
In 5N hydrochloric acid at 100c, 20 per cent of the struc
ture is disrupted within three minutes,
corresponding to a
57 A penetration. After three minutes, the rate drops rapidly
with less than twice the above penetration after 6 hr, agree
ing generally with Hiscock's findings ( 33).
Thompson proposes
that the formation of a tough coating of polymerized silica protects the crystals from further attack. This hypothesis is
suoported by the fact that the fibers are again susceptible to
acid attack if the silica layer is removed by reaction
with
alkali.
DPMC-05292
LAM 008802
In the presence of 0.2N EDTA at pH 5.5 and 100c, the rate of*
decomposition of the fiber appears to be diffusion controlled.
In this case at least a portion of the silica becomes dis
persed in the reaction medium.
Thompson concludes that the
amphibole structure is not intrinsically resistant to acid at
tack.
The apparent resistance is a result of the protection
afforded by the silica layer.
The lesser resistance of amo-
site to acid attack can possibly be attributed to faults in
the structure.
The resistance of the asbestiform minerals to attack by re
agents other than acids is generally considered excellent at
temperatures up to 100C, but deteriorates rapidly at higher
temperatures.
Ball and Taylor(6) studied the reactions of
chrysotile with several materials under hydrothermal condi
tions .
Recent studies by J. C. Yang(83) indicate that reaction be
tween chrysotile and calcium hydroxide is detectable in two
days at 230C.
Similarly Reimschussel '60) foun(j that chryso
tile was completely decomposed in concentrated potassium hy droxide at 200C within 24 hr. Thompson(69) showed that cro-
cidolite is attacked by potassium lOOOc and studied the hydrothermal other chemicals.
or sodium hydroxide above reaction with a variety of
Under certain conditions, the reaction of chrysotile asbestos
with weak acids can be limited to the surface of the fibers. Pundsack and Reimschussel(57) demonstrated that fatty acids
and other weak organic acids when dissolved in non-aqueous
solvents react with the fiber surface to form a monomolecular
"chemisorbed" layer. The amount of chemisorbed acid is af
fected by the presence of sorbed water on the fiber.
This is
illustrated below.
Chemisorption of Oleic Acid from Benzene by Chrysotile
Mg, acid sorbed/g, fiber
Fiber conditioned for 48 hr at
185C
29% RH
| 100% RH
10.8
7.4
0.5
DPMC-05293
lam 008803
-16-
Equilibrium in these reactions is established very rapidly
probably within seconds.
It was also noted that above a con
centration of 0.005 moles of oleic acid/kg of benzene, the
amount of acid chemisorbed by the fiber is constant and has a
value of about 1 per cent by weight of the fiber.
This value
could vary with the exposed surface area of the fiber.
Even
after fifteen extractions with hot benzene, 80 per cent or
more of the original oleic acid remains fixed on the fiber
surface. Fiber which contains chemisorbed fatty acid is some
what hydrophobic and markedly organophillic.
The hydrophobic
character of the fiber is of a limited nature, since the fiber
can be wet by vigorous stirring in water.
In general, organic compositions possessing acidic functional
groups dissolved in non-polar or slightly polar solvents, such
as benzene and methyl ethyl ketone, exhibit a strong tendency
either to chemisorb or to slowly react with chrysotile. Long-
chain aliphatic acids, such as stearic acid, oleic acid, and
palmitic acid are chemisorbed by dry fiber.
Aromatic-type
acids, such as benzoic acid and related compounds, are also
chemisorbed as are dibasic aliphatic acids, such as adipic
acid. Although the unsaturated six-carbon sorbic acid ap
pears to be chemisorbed by chrysotile, the related shorter
carbon chain acrylic, crotonic acids show some evidence of
slow reaction with the dry chrysotile even in non-polar sol
vents and there is a tendency for the adsorbed layer to show
an affinity for water.
Maleic acid reacts with the bulk fi
ber.
If the fiber contains adsorbed water, the interaction of an
organic acid in benzene or MEK solutions differs markedly from
that with the dry fiber.
The long chain aliphatic acids,
e.g., stearic, oleic, when dissolved in non-polar or slightly
polar solvents, show little or no tendency to sorb on fibers
containing adsorbed water.
Acids, which have some slight af
finity for water, such as adipic, benzoic or sorbic, react
with the bulk fiber structure instead of chemisorbing as they
do on dry fibers.
The reaction of chrysotile with certain anionic
wetting
agents, such as Aerosol OT, is peculiar in that they cause the
fiber bundles to separate into ultimate fibrils.
This re
action is accompanied by strong chemisorption of the agents
with permanent modification of the surface(51).
When chrysotile fiber is decomposed by strong hydrochloric acid in the presence of chlorotrimethy1 silane(24) a very in
teresting reaction occurs.
Normally, the decomposition by
acid leaves a residue of amorphous silica which polymerizes in
DPMC-05294
LAM 008804
-17-
the shape of the original fiber. The chlorotrimethyl silane'
however, reacts with the silica sheet as the magnesium is re
moved and prevents further polymerization of the silica.
The
final product of the reaction is in effect an organo-silicon
polymer in sheet form.
The sheets are rolled into hollow
tubes and exhibit typical chrysotile morphology under the
electron microscope. They also show a 15 A spacing between
the layers by X-ray diffraction.
In organic solvents,
the
polymer swells and the X-ray diffraction pattern disappears
indicating that the tubular sheets have unrolled.
This prod
uct is interesting confirmation that the basic chrysotile
structure is a spiral rather than a closed concentric cylin
der.
Reaction with Water.
in addition to being vulnerable to at-
tack by acids, and, under certain circumstances alkalies, as
bestos fibers are also subject to attack by water.
Pro
longed extraction of chrysotile with water has been studied
by Holt and Clark(31) and Reimschussel(60) .
Holt reported
that when chrysotile is extracted with boiling water, the
solution contained both magnesium and orthosilic acid.
He
proposed that the chrysotile decomposed by loss of magnesium
ions leaving a residue of colloidal silica.
He also suggests
that the colloidal silica is hydrolyzed to orthosilicic acid.
Reimschussel1s results confirm that chrysotile is decomposed
by water. He found that the concentration of magnesium in the
extract was relatively high during the first three to four
hours of Soxhlet extraction and then began to decrease.
The
decrease in magnesium concentration was accompanied by the formation of a precipitate of amorphous magnesium silicate.
After the initial rapid reaction, magnesium and silica are
removed in amounts proportional to the chrysotile composition. Whether the removal of silica proceeds by way of solution or
by the formation of colloidal silica is yet to be determined.
There is no doubt, however, that chrysotile is slowly "solu
ble" in water under conditions of continuous extraction.
For crocidolite, Thompson(68) reports that 4 per cent of the
silica and 6 per cent of the sodium are removed by Soxhlet ex
traction with water.
In this case, the action was equivalent
to that of alkalies at corresponding temperatures.
SYNTHESIS
Chrysotile. Numerous investigators have studied
of chrysotile and serpentine minerals.
These
motivated either by pure theoretical interest or
to grow large synthetic crystals.
It is quite
the synthesis studies were by the desire probable that
DPMC-05295
LAM 008805
chrysotile was synthesized as early as 1927(34) but before the v
advent of electron microscopy and sophisticated X-ray dif fraction techniques, it was not possible to distinguish among the minerals of the serpentine group. The mere fact that the chemical analysis of the reaction products matched that of serpentine could not be considered distinctly diagnostic for chrysotile.
Chrysotile has only been synthesized under hydrothermal con-
ditons. Bowen and Tuttle(10) demonstrated that chrysotile is
formed at temperatures up to 500C and at pressures up to
40,000 psi.
Yang(2), formed chrysotile at temperatures as
low as 115C. Since a lower limit of temperature stability for chrysotile has not been established, it is conceivable that it could be formed in an aqueous system with the correct composition under ambient conditions, particularly within geo logic time periods.
There are several interesting features which have been noted
for synthetic chrysotile. First, regardless of the conditions
employed, or the trace impurities and mineralizers which have
been added, only single chrysotile fibrils have been synthe
sized.
No method has been found for synthesizing the large
bundles of parallel fibers which occur in nature.
Secondly,
if the product formed during the early stages of synthesis is
examined under the electron microscope, one can see evidence
of sheets in the process of rolling into tubes.
Roy and Roy(63) carried out an extensive study of the synthe
sis of serpentine minerals with magnesium and silicon substi
tuted wholly or partially by other ions. Replacement of mag
nesium by similar-sized nickel ions yielded a product which
was either platy or tubular, depending on other factors, such
as the presence of sodium chloride in the reaction mixture .
Increasing the size of the tetrahedral layer by substituting
silicon with germanium resulted in a serpentine mineral which
formed large, platy, hexagonal crystals.
Similarly, partial
substitution of aluminum in both layers yielded platy "alu
minum serpentine" (Mg5Al) (AlSi303Q) (OH) 4.
Another
ser
pentine phase was also synthesized from nickel and germanium
Ni3Ge205 (OH)2 which also had a platy structure. It was not
possible to produce serpentine-type phases substituting man
ganese, zinc, cobalt, iron, chromium or gallium for magnesium.
This, however, does not preclude the possibility of trace
amounts of these ions being present in natural or synthetic
materials.
The authors concluded that the tubular structure
of chrysotile is not only a consequence of the ion sizes, but
other external influences as well.
DPMC-05296
LAM 008806
-19-
Amphiboles.
The amphibole minerals can be synthesized by'
either pyrogenic or hydrothermal methods.
Recent studies at
the Institute for Silicate Chemistry, Leningrad, are probably
the most comprehensive in this field.
Amphiboles containing
fluorine substituted for hydroxyl were produced by heating a
mixture of oxides and fluorides to 900-1100C in tightly closed platinum or ceramic vessels<26) . The mineral phase and
the morphological characteristics of the products depended on
the composition of the initial mixtures, the fluorine content
and the temperature.
The isomorphous series of
fibrous
fluoro-amphiboles included a wide variety of cations com
prising a mixture of Na or other mono or divalent metal plus
either Mg++, Fe++, Cr+++, Cu++, Co++, Ni++, Mn++, or Cd++.
Within the reaction mix, crystals of 0.5 to 1.0 millimeters in
length, and 0.1 to 2.0 microns in diameter were formed with
crystals as long as 20 millimeters on the surface of the reac
tion mass.
The physical properties of the synthetic fluoro-
amphiboles were stated to be superior to the best natural va
rieties with tensile strength of 20,000 to 40,000
kg/cm2.
Thermal decomposition did not occur until the temperature
exceeded 900C.
Hydroxy amphiboles containing combinations of Na or Ca plus
either Mg++, Fe++, Co++ or Ni++ were formed under hydrothermal
conditions(39). Typical reaction conditions were 350-600OC
with pressures ranging from 300 to 2000 atmospheres.
After
reaction times of 6 hours to 3 days, fibers as long as 4 mil
limeters were obtained with diameters ranging from 0.1 to 1.0
micron.
The hydrothermal fibers were too small to measure
their mechanical properties.
Their thermal stability was of
the same order of magnitude as the natural materials.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Tensile Strength. Asbestos is used primarily as a reinforcing
fiber.
Its tensile strength is, therefore, of prime signifi
cance. The measurement of tensile properties is complicated
by the combination of short length and small diameters re
sulting in a wide range of values from the same type of fiber
as reported by Badollet^^ .
Zukowski and Gaze'^^1 showed a
strong dependence of strength on fiber length with maximum values of 61,000 kg/cm2 and 58,000 kg/cm2 for crocidolite and
chrysotile, respectively, with a fiber length of approximately
2 mm.
Motion pictures showed that fiber failure normally oc
curred by rupture of weak interfibrillar bonds, rather than
true tensile failure of a fiber.
Using a newly-developed
micro-tensi ]e machine, comparable data were obtained by Burman
on a variety of asbestos fibers 4 mm long and 10 to 20 microns
in diameter(33).
Crocidolite and chrysotile had the greatest
DPMC-05297
LAM 008807
i-rTT-r HrpMWivrt
fs^n,, - -m -. -,- |- J ---
-.2. V0<
strength followed closely by amosite, with the other amphi-
boles significantly weaker.
More recent work by Burmand^)
in Table 5 casts doubt on the validity of assigning specific
tensile strength values to each asbestiform mineral, although
the same relative order is maintained.
All fibers appear to
have strengths less than the theoretical value of over 100,000
kg/cm^ attributable to silicate chain structures.
The fact
that chrysotile and some of the amphiboles give so nearly the same values has led Whittaker(77) to suggest that the fiber
strength is affected more by the crystal imperfections intro
duced during fiber formation rather than by the atomic ar rangement or structure of the fiber. This is consistent with
the hypothesis that amphibole fibers are built up of overlap
ping crystallites held together by H-O-H coordinate linkages
or other cohesive forces.
Chrysotile fibers, on the other
hand, are bundles of fundamental fibrils of relatively con
stant diameter, but varying length.
The difference between
different chrysotiles is best exemplified by Coalinga fiber
(Figure 15) where most fibers consist of overlapping fibrils
approximately 0.5-2
long cemented together, and
Jeffrey
chrysotile which has long individual fibrils (Figure 16).
Such a concept can also explain the gradual
time-dependent
loss in strength of asbestos fibers with increasing tempera
ture below the decomposition temperature of the crystal.
Small losses of water in the early stages of dehydration for
both chrysotile and amphiboles are probably associated with
reduced edgewise bonding between the crystallites or fibrils
comprising the asbestos fibers, resulting in reduced "tensile
strength" of the fiber.
Harshness.
The term harshness is related to`the flexural
modulus of the asbestiform fibers.
The high modulus amphi
boles are all generally harsh and relatively stiff even in the
finest fibers shown in the electron micrograph of Figure 17.
Although most chrysotile fibers are soft, semi-harsh fibers
are also commercially available.
Harsh chrysotile is not us
ually commercially significant. The difference in the appear
ance of fiber masses is well illustrated by the photomicro
graphs of Figures 18 and 19.
Harsh fibers yield an open, bulky, fast-filtering, mass. The
flexible soft fibers form stringy, dense masses with slow fil
tration characteristics.
This specific attribute of
soft
chrysotile is often a serious disadvantage in wet processing
techniques employed in the manufacture of asbestos-cement
products.
Semi-harsh chrysotile fibers, when economically
available, or crocidolite can partially replace soft chryso-
DPMC-05298
LAM 008808
21'-
-
V
tile to improve filtration.
Chemical techniques mayalso be
used to accomplish the same objective either by adding poly
electrolytes (1) or by treating the fiber with sodium sili cate^) .
Considerable research has been devoted to correlate harshness
with fundamental physical or chemical factors.
Woodroofe(80)
has indicated a relationship with the water content of the
fiber.
In line with this, Badollet and StreibM) have pa
tented a technique for increasing the harshness of chrysotile
by flash calcining in the range of 500C to drive off part of
the chemically combined water.
More recently, hanger and
Kerr(37) have indicated a correlation with fine mineral
in
tergrowths in the bundles of fibrils comprising chrysotile.
Another hypothesis is that harshness is related to the rela
tive contents of the two crystallographic forms, clino-chryso-
tile and ortho-chrysotile in the fiber from a source (Whittaker and Zussman (77)).
specific
Thermal Decomposition. Asbestos minerals, despite their rela tively high fusion temperature, are completely decomposed at temperatures of 1000C or lower, depending on the mineral species.
The course of the thermal decomposition can be followed by
three different but inter-related techniques:
differential
thermal analysis (DTA), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and
static dehydration.
The actual decomposition phenomena in amphiboles are extreme
ly complicated and depend on the type of atmosphere and par
ticularly on the specific amphibole involved.
Typical curves
for the behavior of crocidolite in air are given in Figure 20
from Hodgson(33),
The first chemical change,
corresponding
to an apparent loss of water, occurs at 420C with the final
decomposition of the amphibole into a pyroxene mineral, cris-
tobalite, and. iron oxide occurring at 900C.
This water is
formed by migration of protons which are oxidized at the sur
face by oxygen in the air.
The other amphiboles lose water primarily by condensation of
hydroxyl ions.
Oxidation of divalent iron has a profound ef
fect on the thermal behavior of these minerals and this be comes very evident by comparing the reactions in air and in
an inert atmosphere. Both the dehvdroxylation temperature and
decomposition temperature appear to increase with increased
MgO content in the different amphibole species.
Hodgson(32)
gives a detailed experimental and theoretical review of these
DPMC-05299
LAM 008809
Ha
itip
-22-
phenomena, which include loss of physically combined water,
loss of chemically combined water, and breakdown into ultimate
decomposition products.
These thermal analysis techniques
have proven particularly useful in categorizing amphibole sam
ples from different locales.
For example, Bolivian crocido-
lite exhibits characteristics of both anthophyllite and cro-
cidolite, while the Transvaal species is often an intimate
mixture of crocidolite and amosite.
v
The decomposition of chrysotile is much simpler and indepen
dent of atmosphere.
Under dynamic heating conditions (DTA),
dehydroxylation occurs at approximately 650C and formation of
forsterite and silica, about 810C, as shown in Figure 21. In
static dehydration experiments, the initial water loss below
500C is time-dependent with no detectable change in the X-ray
diffraction pattern (12, 80).
Martinez(4U has summarized the
various theories for the atomic rearrangement during the de
hydration and formation of forsterite.
The simplest approach
to describing the decomposition above 500C (static) is to
consider it as a three-step process: the solid residue of the
first step
600C) is a slightly hydrated amorphous mag
nesium silicate with a minor amount of poorly crystallized
forsterite.
This is followed by the formation of well-cry
stallized forsterite with some residual amorphous material at
600 to 1000C.
Finally, heating above 1100C yields a mixture of enstatite
and forsterite.
This generalized scheme has been confirmed
by comparisons of infrared spectra of heated chrysotile with
those of mixtures of pure synthetic minerals(61).
Many investigators have studied the thermal decomposition of
chrysotile from a wide variety of sources, and all have been
found to yield essentially the same DTA curves.
Recent
studies with an extremely sensitive duPont Differential Ther
mal Analyzer have disclosed significant differences between
fiber from different sources.
For many chrysotiles, the 650
dehydroxylation peak is really a doublet'-^".
This doublet
phenomenon was first observed by Martinez(40) in a mixture of
two samples of the same fiber which had been subjected to dif
ferent degrees of intensive grinding. The dependence of dehy
droxylation temperature on particle size in the analogous min
eral kaolinite was first reported by Speil(66).
it has not
yet been determined whether these recently observed doublet
peaks in specific chrysotiles correspond to two fiber diameter
populations or to some other phenomenon.
DPMC-05300
LAM 008810
ITHTTiii
mum
rtfcMMwaiai
-23-
Mechanical Disintegration.
For effective reinforcement, the
asbestiform mineral should be fiberized to the degree required
by the specific application.
Mechanical milling or attrition
is the basic method of fiberizing asbestos minerals. Ideally,
the fiber bundles should be opened without reducing the fiber
length.
In practice, the fibers are shortened to a degree
controlled not only by the severity of the mechanical action,
but even more, by the brittleness or harshness of the mineral.
The soft chrysotiles show minimum length disintegration during
opening while, for the same mechanical attrition, the semi-
harsh and harsh chrysotiles are shortened
significantly.
Amphiboles are even more susceptible to length attrition by
mechanical impact, and are usually given their final opening
by the ultimate consumer, often in the actual mixing or pro
cessing operations.
Normally as the fibers become more open, the additional energy
required for further opening increases rapidly,
imposing
a practical limit on the degree of subdivision attainable in
commercial milled products.
Recently, laboratory grinding
tests with an intensive dry grinder* showed that it is pos
sible to actually destroy the structure of chrysotile so that
it is no longer identifiable by either X-ray diffraction or by
the electron micrograph of Figure 22^0).
Jeffrey chrysotile
heated to 700C for 1 hour yields an amorphous material with
exactly the same appearance when viewed by the electron micro
scope. This suggests that the changes observed with intensive
grinding were actually caused by momentary localized temper
ature surges in a fibril as it absorbed the tremendous impact
energy.
To substantiate this hypothesis, chrysotile was sub
jected to prolonged dry ball milling which yielded a similar
appearing amorphous mass. Wet milling, which precluded the
possibility of attaining localized high temperatures, produced
short ultimate fibrils which maintained their crystalline form
and were easily identifiable as chrysotile.
These observations have been used to explain the results of
controlled brake-wear tests performed at the Johns-Manvi1le
Research and Engineering Center(^5).
Wear dust was collected
from passenger car brake linings subjected to a series
of
stops simulating normal traffic and highway driving.
Air
borne dust and debris in the brake drums were collected sepa
rately and analyzed completely.
The composition of the inor
ganic fraction of these residues matched that of the original
brake lining which contained a total of 70 per cent chrys
otile.
No chrysotile was observable in the wear dust by
*Spex Mixer/Mill, manufactured by Spex Industries, Inc., 3800 Park Avenue, Metuchen, New Jersey 08840
DPMC-05301
LAM 008811
-24-
either X-ray or optical microscopy. An electron micrograph of
the dust is shown in Figure 23.
The resemblance between this
and chrysotile, which had been mechanically (and, presumably,
thermally) decomposed is apparent.
Despite the fact that
thermocouple measurements of the brake drum temperature did
not exceed 275C, theoretical calculations indicated that the
temperatures at localized points of contact exceeded 1000C.
Minute fragments of chrysotile fibrils could be observed in
some of the electron micrographs and a modified point count
technique was devised to determine the chrysotile content.
Conservative estimates of the chrysotile content by this me
thod showed that more than 98 per cent of the chrysotile is
completely destroyed during normal brake usage. Similar stud
ies by the U. S. Public Health Service substantiated these re
sults for normal driving conditions(38).
v
IDENTIFICATION
The positive identification of the asbestiform minerals is
highly dependent upon such factors as the physical form, the
presence of contaminants, prior mechanical, thermal or chem
ical treatment, etc.
The variable nature of the amphiboles
makes it necessary to classify a particular sample as "most
closely resembling" a specific mineral species.
It is obvious that, even if sufficient material is available,
simple chemical analysis is not sufficient to characterize an
asbestiform mineral because all asbestiform minerals have mas
sive counterparts with the same chemical composition.
One
must, therefore, rely on a combination of methods.
The
methods most frequently used are chemical analysis, petro
graphic microscopy, X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy,
electron diffraction, and differential thermal analysis.
Perhaps the most reliable method of identification for par
ticles down to a few microns in diameter is petrographic
microscopy. Using this technique, the fibrous nature of the
species is evident and the optical properties can be used to
determine which species is present.
Among
the amphiboles
however, the variable composition may also effect the optical
properties, so that again positive identification may be dif
ficult.
In such cases, X-ray diffraction, and chemical anal
ysis, or DTA can be used for confirmation.
If the size is below the practical working limit for optical microscopy, the electron microscope is the proper tool. This instrument will only give information about the size and shape so that positive identification is not usually possible for
DPMC-05302
LAM 008812
y A-y
-25-
specific amphiboles. The tubular appearance 'of chrysoti?le under the electron microscope is specific. When electron dif fraction is used in conjunction with electron microscopy a better, but still not conclusive, identification of amphiboles is possible.
The electron microprobe is a relatively recent development
which is proving of great value for the characterization of
small amounts of material. With this instrument it is possible
to obtain a complete chemical analysis on a particle as small
as one micron.
It is also possible to study the same parti
cles with both the electron microprobe and the electron micro
scope, thus making a more complete characterization possible.
Table 6 is a listing of the properties of the asbestiform min erals used for their characterization.
SOURCES OF FIBER
Hendry(30) at the 1965 Conference on Biologic Effects of As bestos summarized the pertinent aspects of the occurrence, production and commercial applications of asbestos fiber.
Table 7 presents the world production of asbestos in 1966 ^3). Production has increased with few changes in the relative standings of the producing countries.
The major difference is the great increase in Russian pro
duction which now outranks Canada as the major producer.
The
increased Droduction in the United States over the past few
years is due to the recent development of the Coalinga fiber
deposits in California.
One important change since 1966
is
the closing of the Australian crocidolite mines and the elim
ination of this source from the market.
Thus, South Africa
remains as the one significant area producing crocidolite and
amosite.
Chrysotile accounts for approximately 95 per cent of commer
cial asbestos.
Chrysotile asbestos from Quebec is available
in more than 50 standard or specialized grades to meet spe
cific requirements.
Some of the larger asbestos mills, such
as that of the Jeffrey mine in Asbestos, Quebec, nroduce many
of these grades simultaneously by a complex system of conti
nuous crushing, screening, and aspiration from the same mill
feed material.
DPMC-05303
LAM 008813
-26-
All fibers from Quebec are classified by a standardized system
which, with some modifications, forms the basis for other
classification systems in use throughout the world. The long
est fibers are Groups 1 and 2, with fiber lengths of over 3/4
in. and from 3/8 to 3/4 in., respectively.
These consist of
hand-selected cross-vein fiber and are termed "crude" asbestos
grades since they are normally given final preparation by the
ultimate user.
Groups 3 through 7 are classified as "milled"
fiber with decreasing fiber length, as measured by the Quebec Standard Screen Test(59)_ Each group is further sub-divided
into a number of sub-grades according to their "crudiness",
content of grit, bulking characteristics, and absorption pro
perties.
Subgroup fibers from different sources are not ne
cessarily interchangeable for specific end applications.
In
the asbestos trade, a "crudy" fiber is one which contains a
large number of unopened fiber bundles; those fiber subgrades
in which the fibers have been well fiberized or subdivided are
known as "opened" grades.
'
Table 8 gives the approximate distribution by grades of chrysotile fiber produced in Canada and the United States, as com pared to that produced in the U. S. S. R. in 1966.
TABLE 8. APPROXIMATE PRODUCTION OF CHRYSOTILE FIBERS BY GRADES IN 1966
Grade
#1 Crude #2 Crude
3 4 5 6 7
U. S. S. R.
18,000
130,000 180,000 650,000 390,000 530,000
U. S. and Canada
200
45,000 500,000 200,000 230,000 620,000
DPMC-05304
LAM 008814
.MfcStMw y-i ii^wai m
mmamnstm
wmmm
-27-
Applications.
The commercial applications of asbestos are so
numerous that this review can do no better than refer the
reader to the many excellent texts which adequately cover this
subject^, 62) ^
The uses range from asbestos-cement products
or floor tile which consume hundreds of thousands of tons, to
specialty filtration applications which may consume only sev
eral tons annually.
Asbestos imparts to a great variety of
products a combination of properties which cannot be attained
by using other materials.
Its strong fibrous form reinforces
other media, such as plastics or cement, or controls viscosity
of many systems; its inorganic nature is important for resis
tance to heat and chemical or environmental agents; its fine
size contributes filtration efficiency and insulating effi
ciency; its abundance and low cost is a significant factor in
promoting commercial applications.
On the basis of relative abundance alone, chrysotile will be
used wherever possible in preference to other forms of as
bestos. Where a combination of extreme bulking characteris
tics plus low water content and high temperature resistance
are desirable, e.g. , thermal insulations, amosite has usually
been preferred.
Applications requiring resistance to acids
usually take advantage of the relatively good acid resistance
of crocidolite. Textile products require a soft, silky, long
er grade of chrysotile although crocidolite has also been used
for acid resistant textile forms. Geographic considerations
may exert economic influence to increase the usage of specific
amphiboles, such as anthophyllite in Finland, or the crocido-
lites in South Africa.
Anthophyllite has shown specific ad
vantages over other asbestiform minerals in reinforcing poly-,
propylene products and is used almost exclusively.
In general, specific grades of chrysotile have been developed
by the asbestos industry for each market. Although the longer
fibers are considered to be of better quality, it would be
just as impractical to use relatively long 4-grade fiber in
floor tile as it would be to attempt to make satisfactory as
bestos paper or asbestos cement products with 7-grade fibers.
In fact*, some applications may even require the presence of a
considerable amount of the non-fibrous, fine grained particu
late serpentine which is contained in some of the
7-grade
subgroups. Normally, the consumer selects the least expensive
grade of fiber which will meet his needs.
DPMC-05305
LAM 008815
I I'jftdHMWHii
flilfM
-28-
Other Sources.
Commercial production and applications of as-
bestos fibers are usually considered to be the only signifi
cant sources of asbestos fibers entering the environment.
However, on closer examination it becomes evident that we
should consider not only the question of impurities in asbes
tos, but also the fact that asbestiform minerals are an ubi
quitous impurity in many deposits of commercially valuable
nonmetallic minerals, such as mica and talc.
Talc particularly is a mineral product with widespread commer
cial and cosmetic applications.
Figure 24, an electronmicro-
graph of a typical beneficiated industrial talc, reveals the
presence of considerable fibrous tremolite. Approximately
8,000 tons of talc are used annually as a carrier for pesti
cides ('D .
Windom, et al^9), investigated the distribution
of talc in the atmosphere and in glacier and snow samples to
study the migration of pesticides.
Their samples covered a
world-wide geographic distribution. In practically every sam
ple, amphiboles were detected along with the talc, as might be
anticipated from the common occurrence of amphiboles in talc.
Cralley), et al, have recently investigated twenty-two cos-
f ymetic talcum products. All had significant fiber contents
\ Y' ranging from 8 to 30 per cent by count of the total talc par-
k Hticfnuialat-toecs., and averaging 1199 ppeerr cceenntt., The fibrous talc in-
eluded tremolite, anthophyHite, and chry"sotile.
They macle
special note of"tire tact that COsme-tirc--tatchm,.products--should
be included ~as~aT6urce of fibers from which may be derived ferruginous bodies obsexved -in--the., lun.gs_.of. humans .-------------
In another investigation by the U. S. Public Health Service of
the source and identification of respirable fibers,
Cral
ley (15) noted that there are more than one hundred different
natural minerals with some degree of fibrous structure which
may occur in respirable sizes.
In addition to the asbestos
minerals, these included fuller's earth, zeolite, vermiculj.te,
calcium carbonate, gypsum, pyrophyllite, talc, kyanite, horn-
\blende, mica, magnesite, and many others.
Pure serpentine is considered to be composed of non-fibrous
antigorite or lizardite based on petrographic and X-ray exami
nation.
However, electron microscopy reveals the fact that
all serpentine rocks contain significant amounts of chryso
tile.
Figure 25 is an electronmicrograph of a practically
translucent "museum grade" serpentine specimen from Warren
County, New York, obtained through Wards Natural Science Es
tablishment.
Despite its apparent content of approximately
20 per cent of fibers, optical microscopy showed no chrysotile
whatsoever.
DPMC-05306
LAM 008816
i
-29-
Examination of many other authenticated samples of "pure ser`
pentine" has revealed the presence of chrysotile.
Serpentine
rock deposits are widespread throughout the world.
in the
U. S., they form the Franciscan serpentine belt along the en
tire length of California, just as they form much of the Ap
palachian range on the East Coast.
They are used as the ba
sis for many large-scale applications, such as ballast, road
construction, aggregate, building stone, etc. During grinding
and preparation for such commercial usage, there could be op
portunity for escape of fibrous material.
CONCLUSIONS
It is important for the medical investigator of the biologic effects of asbestiform minerals to properly understand the wide diversity between the several individual asbestos mine rals, the ubiquitous nature of their occurrence, both in com mercially valuable form and as impurities in other materials, and the widespread existence of many other minerals with fi brous form. It is only by relating experimental biologic evi dence with the variations in physical size and form, in phy sical strength attributes, in physico-chemical surface reac tions, in chemical reactivity, and in associated impurities, that we can ultimately arrive at valid medical conclusions.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors wish to express their gratitude to J. W. Axelson, D. A. Bailey, G. P. Reimschussel, and W. C. Streib of the Johns-Manville Research and Engineering Center for their in valuable assistance during the preparation of this paper.
DPMC-05307
LAM 008817
1. Badollet, M. S., U. S. Patent 2,068,219.
2. Badollet, M. S., Can. Min and Met. Bull., April 1951, p 1.
3. Badollet, M. S., Encyc. Chem. Tech., Vol. 2, p 734 (1963).
4. Badollet, M. S. and Streib, W. C., U.S. Patent 2,616,801.
5. Ball, M. C. and Taylor, H. F. W. , Min. Mag. 12, 754 (1961); 33, 467 (1963).
6. Ball, M. C. and Taylor, H. F. W. , J. App. Chem. 13_, 145 (1963).
7. Bates, T. F. , Sand, L. P., and Mink, J. F., Science 111, 512 (1950).
8. Berger, H., Asbestos Fundamentals, Chem. Pub. Co., New York (1963).
9. Berman, H., Amer. Mineral, 7, 313 (1932).
10.
Bowen, N. L. and Tuttle, 0. F. , Bull. Geol. Soc. Am. 6() (3) , 439 (1949) .
11. Brindley, G. W. and Hayami, R., Min. Mag. 5, 189 (1965).
12.
Brindley, G. W. and Zussman, J., Amer. Mineral. 2, 461 (1957).
13.
Burman, D. R., Paper No. 2-8, Oxford Conference on the Phy sics and Chemistry of Asbestos Minerals, 1967.
14. Cralley, L. J., et. al. To be presented at Amer. Ind. Hyg. Conference, St. Louis, Mo., flay 13, 196 8.
15.
Cralley, L. J., et. al, To be published in Amer. Ind. Hyg. J. (1968).
16.
Clark, F. W. and Schneider, E. A., Am. J. Sci. 3rd Ser. 40, pp 303, 405, 452 (1890).
17. Deer, W. A., Howie, R. A., and Zussman, J. "Rock Forming Minerals" Vol. 2 and 3, John Wiley & Sons, 1962.
18.
Della Faille, M., Ph. D. Thesis, University of Louvain (1965) .
19. Faessler, C., and Badollet, M. S., Can. Min. Jour. 68, No. 3, 157 ( 1947) .
DPMC-05308
LAM 008818
,:A\|
mmm
20. Faust, G. T. and Fahey, J. J., U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 384-A (1962) .
21. Faust, G. T. and Nagy, B. , Am. Mineral. A_L, 817 (1956).
*
22. Faust, G. T. and Nagy, B., U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 384-B (1967).
23. Frankel, J. J., Mining Mag. 89_, 73 , 143 (1953).
24.
Frazier, S. E., Bedford, J. A., Hower, J., and Kenny, M. E., Inorganic Chem. , 1693 (1967).
25. Gaze, R., Annals N.Y. Acad. Sci. 132, pp 23-30 (1965).
26. Gregorjeva, R. F., et. al. Paper No. 3-6, Oxford Conference on the Physics and Chemistry of Asbestos Minerals, 1967.
27. Hall, A. L. , Union S.A. Geol. Survey Mem. 12, 2nd Ed. p 324 (1930) .
28.
Ilarington, J. S., Annals New York Acad. Sci. 132, 31-47 (1965) .
29. Harris, M. R. , Chem. and Ind., Feb. 6, 1965, p. 268.
30.
Hendry, N. W., Annals New York Acad. Sci 132, Art. 1, pp 12-22 (1965).
31.
Holt, P. F. and Clark, S. G., Nature, London 185, 237 (1960) .
32. Hodgson, A. A., Min. Mag. 3^, 291 (1965).
V
33.
Hodgson, A. A., "Fibrous Silicates" Royal Inst, of Chem. Lecture Series No. 4, 1965.
34.
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36. Kjpling, J. J. and Tester, D. A., J. Chem Soc. 1952, 4 123 .
37.
Langer, A. and Kerr, Paper No. 2-2, Oxford Conference on the Physics and Chemistry of Asbestos Minerals, 1967.
38. Lynch, J. R., Paper submitted to J. Air Poll. Cont. Assn.
39. Makarova, T. A., et. al, Pager No. 3-7, Oxford Conference on the Physics and Chemistry of Asbestos Minerals, 1967.
DPMC-05309
LAM 008819
40 . Martinez, E. , Amer. Mineral., 46 , 901 (1961).
41. Martinez, E. , Trans. Can. Min. & Metal Bull. 63, 1305 (1966)
42.
Martinez, E. , and Zucker, G L* r J. Phys. Chem. 64, 924 (1960).
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44.
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45.
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48.
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52.
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DPMC-05310
LAM 008820
`. V
61. 62.
Reimschussel, G. P., and Wegrzyn, S. mation, Johns-Manville Research & Manville, New Jersey.
w. , Unpublished inforEngineering Center,
`fc
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<
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DPMC-05311
LAM 008821
r*Zg? m
---- i -m-r-y
-r-r^Tiitirr ^
79. Windom. H., et. al v>fE$viron. Sci. & Tech. 1_, 923 (1967).
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r
v
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DPMC-05312
LAM 008822
TABLE 1 . CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF CHRYSOTILES
a 4
TABLE 2. IONIC RADII FOR ELEMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH CHRYSOTILE
SCi ++ + + Mg++ Al+++ Fe++ Fe+++
O.Ul Angstroms
0.65 0.50 0.76 0.6U
Ni++
Co++ Ge++++ Mn++ Cu++
0.78 Angstroms 0.78 0.53 0.80 0.69
TABLE 3. CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF ASBESTIFORM AMPHIBOLES Typical Ranges in Per Cent
Si02 MgO FeO Fe^-0-3 A]23 CaO K')0 Na20 h2
Crocidolite
^9-53 0-3
13-20 17-20
0-0.2 0.3-2.7
0-0 L.0-8.5 2.5-1' 5
Amosite
**9-53 1-7
3U-lll4 -- -- -- 0-0. J* tr
2.5-**. 5
Anthophyllite
56-58 28- 3**
3-1? -- 0.5-1.5 -- -- -- 1.0-6-0
Actinolite
51-56 15-20
5-15 -0-3 1.5-3 10-12 0-0. 5 0.5-1.5 1.5-2.5
Tremolite
55-60 21-26
o-fc 0-0.5 C-2.5 11-13 0-0.6 C-1.5 0.5-2.5
DPMC-05314
LAM 008824
rntmUmMg &%* i
l
--TABLE 1*. SOLUBILITY OF ASBESTOS MINERALS IN 25? ACID OR CAUSTIC
%
Per Cent Loss in Weight, Re-fluxing Two Hours
Chrysotile Crocidolite Amosite Anthophyllite Actinolite Tremolite
HC1 55-69
L. 38 12.8L
2.66 20.31
l*-77
CH3COOH 23.1*2 O.91 2.63 0.60 12.28 1.99
H3PO4 55.18
1*.37 11.67
3.16 20.19
*.99
H2S0i, 55.75
3.69 11.35
2.73 20.38
L.58
NaOH 0.99 1.35 6.97 1.22 9-25 1.80
Reproduced with permission from Canadian Mining and Metallurgical Bulletin, April 1951-
DPMC-05315
LAM 008825
TABLE 5- PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF ASBESTIFORM MINERALS
Ore Samples
- Tensile
Strength xlO^, kg/cm2
Youngs Modulus xl0 kg/cm2
Average Cross-
Sectional Area
of Fibers Tested x'lO"5 cm2
Chrysotile, Arizona, U.S.A.
Chrysotile, Thetford, Canada
Crocidolite, Koegas Cape Province
Crocidolite, Koegas Cape Province
Crocidolite, Pomfret Cape Province
Crocidolite, Pomfret Cape Province
Crocidolite, Cochabambo Bolivia
Amosite, Penge Transvaal
Amosite, Penge Transvaal
Anthophyllite, Paakilla Finland
38.5 37.1
29-0 31-5 1*7.5 36.2 lL .7 26.3 20.2 25-0
1.1*8 1.1*9
1.50 1.5l* 1.72 1.78 1.73 1.1*6 1.1*6 1.59
2.07 2.13
1 *
I.65
1.33 1.6U
1.31* 2.1*3
2.71
1.83
0.95
DPMC-05316
LAM 008826
'miH*
C.-O3 w .'.M25 o
.M
s .ww<m tt, o aow <toC MCC W (OH < u PS Q WCO p CO Mw PS wa. oCCUC
C>HO XCl,
VO
Wt-3
%
DPMC-05317
LAM 008827
TABLE 7. PRODUCTION OF ASBESTOS IN 1966 SHORT TONS
North America: Canada (sales) United States (shipments)
South America: Argentina Bolivia (exports) Brazil
Europe: Austria Bulgaria Finland France Greece Italy Portugal U. S. S. R. Yugoslavia
Africa: Botswana Kenya Mozambique Rhodesia, Southern South Africa, Republic of Swaziland United Arab Republic (Egypt)
Asia: China Cyprus India J apan Korea, South Phillipines Taiwan Turkey
Oceania: Australia New Zealand
World Totale
1,1*79,281 125,928
2bOe h
1,820
--
1,1) 30e 13,250
7,720e 85e
90,1)61) 10
1,872,000(1) 8,1)11
880e 73
-- 175,000e 276,597
36,11)2 2,057
ll)0,000e 21), Ul)9 7,61)6 17,067 687 -- 721 1,258
13,1)72
--
1) ,297,000
eEstimate
(-^Unpublished data considered to be reliable (not from MINERALS YEARBOOK)
DPMC-05318
LAM 008828
mad.
JK`
4
%
\1 inch
FIGURE 1 CROSS VEIN FIBER CRKYSOTTLE
DPMC-05319
LAM 008829
S'.,. .?
1 inch V
FIGURE 2 SLIP FIBER CHKYSOTILE
DPMC-05320
LAM 008830
1 Inch y
FIGURE 3 NODULES OF COALIMJA CHRYSOTILE
DPMC-05321
LAM 008831
1 inch j FIGURE 4 CROCIDOLITE IN BANDED IRONSTONE
DPMC-05322
LAM 008832
rreaims*
WTTl'iBTnTMWiffm.i.
jsmtmm
F ig u re 5
CD
C
r~
0 1
c ~0
o
~n
co X
m
m
CO
H O
a
> m
H
>
r~
31 OD 5
r~
co
LAM 008833
TTr' \\
Vfflfi iWMWIB \ i..
t------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------ 0.5 micron FIGURE 6
ELECTRON MICROGRAPH OF CHKISOTILE CROSS SECTION 195,OOOX
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM AMERICAN MINERALOGIST 4, 680 (i960)
DPMC-05324
LAM 008834
w ,n
*
\\
CO
amm '<
ig u re 5
u_
DPMC-05325
LAM 008835
FIGURE T
FIGURE 8 HIGH RESOLUTION ELECTRON MICROGRAPHS OF CHRYSOTILE
DPMC-05326
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM ACTA CKYST. 2^_, '{Oh (1967)
LAM 008836
.f.: ' -K' i V%
'*;1 Hy
t' /. .
- ^
21
i nvaaii. <-i.g.ii itiir rnrWi.**-- >->n : iHMuatatimSim
in-
AMPHIBOLE STRUCTURE
FIGURE
<
DPMC-05327
LAM 008837
<>d
y0)
ID
5La)
<0 T <0
H t/) o
DPMC-05328
LAM 008838
S o rp tio n o f o rg a n ic liq u id s
o n c h ry s o t i le
CL)
l_ D 01
DPMC-05329
LAM 008839
rnm
.*V:
V^r
\ ,t
> ''
mmrn
Fi gu re 12
LAM 008840
uojjjsoduuoosp /Q
(tim e - m in ) F ig u re t3
DPMC-05331
LAM 008841
T itra tio n of c h ry s o t i le
ML. 0.5150N HCI
F -tg u re 14
------------ '"*?
> r=:
CXI v
o
OJ CO
OJ C30
O<T>00f^-COtO^trO0J
Hd
o
DPMC-05332
LAM 008842
'.j i
1
FIGURE 15 ELECTRON MICROGRAPH OF COALINGA C1IRYSOTILE
8000X
EMS 58QA
DPMC-05333
LAM 008843
ELECTRON MICROGRAPH OF JEFFREY CHKYSOTILE 8000X
EMS 485A
DPMC-05334
.
LAM 008844
FIGURE 17 ELECTRON MICROGRAPH OF CROCIDOLITE
8000X
DPMC-05335
LAM 008845
I------------------1 100 microns
FIGURE 18
SOFT CHKYSOTILE
200X
DPMC-05336 E 984
LAM 008846
I------------------1 100 microns
FIGURE 19
HARSH CHRISOTILE
200X
DPMC-05337
LAM 008847
Endothermic
Exothermic
<-----------------------At ---------- ->
LAM 008848
100 2 0 0 300 4 0 0 500 6 0 0 7 0 0 8 0 0 9 0 0 1000
TEMPERATURE (C>
fig u r e 21
Mb
ENDOTHERMIC ------------ 0------------ - EXOTHERMIC
DPMC-05339
LAM 008849
> - I
1 micron
FIGURE 22
ELECTRON MICROGRAPH OF SPEX MILLED CHRISOTILE
15,OOOX
EK3 k90A
DPMC-05340
LAM 008850
1 micron FIGURE 23 ELECTRON MICROGRAPH OF BRAKE LINING IX/ST
15000X
EMS U70C DPMC-05341
LAM 008851
*4
1 100 microns '
FIGURE 24 ELECTRON MICROGRAPH OF COMMERCIAL TALC
3000X
EK3 440B DPMC-05342
LAM 008852
F # -*.
.. ..
>h FIGURE 25
ELECTRON MICROGRAPH OF WARREN COUNTY, NEW YORK SERPENTINE
8000X
BUS 705A DPMC-05343
*
LAM 008853