Sciencemadness Discussion Board - Asbestos

Asbestos

itchyfruit - 11-11-2010 at 07:37

A friend of mine recently asked if i knew how to test for Asbestos, i do realise their lots of different types and having done a bit of research found out the most popular method seems to be to study a dyed sample under a microscope.
This got me thinking about a couple of things firstly is this the only method and secondly can Asbestos be made into any other compounds (preferably safe ones) by chemical process.

ScienceSquirrel - 11-11-2010 at 07:49

The standard method is polarised light microscopy.
It is very sensitive and the fibres can be distinguished from other similar substances eg glass fibre, etc.
A review is here;

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_tabl...
The only safe thing to do with asbestos is leave it in the ground!

mr.crow - 11-11-2010 at 11:29

I find it funny your name is _itchy_fruit and you are talking about asbestos

itchyfruit - 11-11-2010 at 15:42

Quote: Originally posted by mr.crow

I find it funny your name is _itchy_fruit and you are talking about asbestos

Why ?

Btw does anyone know how to make itching powder.

Sedit - 11-11-2010 at 18:14

Why is asbestos toxic? What is it that causes cancer and such because it does not seem to fix the bill of normal carcinogens to me.

Lambda-Eyde - 11-11-2010 at 18:19

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asbestos#Mechanisms_which_might...

Magpie - 25-5-2017 at 19:30

I remember using loose asbestos fibers as a filtering medium in my quantitative analysis class in college in 1962. The fibers were placed in a Gooch crucible as a slurry forming a porous mat. The utility of it was that it could be fired in a muffle furnace without losing weight.

A few times in my own lab I have wished that I had some available both for the above purpose and in sheet form for high temperature work.

Recently I found some 1/4" sheet at a garage sale in the form of a fireproof metal box for valuables. I estimate it contains about 3 ft^2 of sheet asbestos:

[Edited on 26-5-2017 by Magpie]

NedsHead - 25-5-2017 at 23:24

I was thinking about a safe and affordable way to dispose of asbestos roofing just the other day, a property I'm interested in has a second dwelling with an asbestos roof. I was thinking along the lines of using a propane burner under a stainless 44 gallon drum of sodium hydroxide solution and destroying the sheets one at a time

[Edited on 26-5-2017 by NedsHead]

NedsHead

Sulaiman - 26-5-2017 at 01:05

1) most municipal dumps (in UK, so I assume AU also) have asbestos waste facilities,
probably cheaper than your proposed plan.

2) sheet asbestos releases very little dust if not sawn, drilled, filed etc.

3) asbestos sheet can be really useful to a home scientist, keep some (safely)

diddi - 26-5-2017 at 01:34

wear a mask. spray it with water to keep wet and bust it into small bits. shove it in the bin in a garbage bag a bit at a time and say nothing.

btw it is easy to identify. heres a sample of the nasty carcinogenic form from Wittenoom, Western Australia

the fluffy fibres spall constantly. this is the raw material stored out of the weather. it becomes windborne easily and the entire mining town has been closed to the public

[Edited on 26-5-2017 by diddi]

NedsHead - 26-5-2017 at 01:47

The cost of asbestos removal and disposal here in Aus is an absolute rort, easily running into the $10s of thousands, it's common for dodgy operators to illegally dump asbestos in the streets to avoid the high costs.

The house needs renovating and will be getting a new roof at some stage anyway, I'm just thinking of ways to save a buck in the future.

I will absolutely keep a sheet of two for the hobby

@diddi

Edit, case in point: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-26/asbestos-dumped-south-...

I turned on the telly and this was the first news update I see, I swear it wasn't me lol

[Edited on 26-5-2017 by NedsHead]

[Edited on 26-5-2017 by NedsHead]

CharlieA - 26-5-2017 at 16:03

Quote: Originally posted by Magpie

I remember using loose asbestos fibers as a filtering medium in my quantitative analysis class in college in 1962. The fibers were placed in a Gooch crucible as a slurry forming a porous mat. The utility of it was that it could be fired in a muffle furnace without losing weight.

A few times in my own lab I have wished that I had some available both for the above purpose and in sheet form for high temperature work.

[Edited on 26-5-2017 by Magpie]

I remember the same uses (I'm class of1962), and just the other day was also wishing I had some.

Melgar - 26-5-2017 at 17:03

I have a 1-cm thick sheet of something that is probably asbestos. It's from roughly the WWII era, and was used as heat shielding, so I can't imagine what else it'd be. Asbestos is only carcinogenic if you inhale it, so I keep the pieces in a bag in a drawer. In the US, they've decided that covering up asbestos is okay in buildings, so I guess that should work for me.