Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Asbestos cement, genericized as fibro, fibrolite (short for "fibrous (or fibre) cement sheet"; but different from the natural mineral fibrolite), or AC sheet, is a composite building material consisting of cement and asbestos fibres pressed into thin rigid sheets and other shapes.
Asbestos (/ æ s ˈ b ɛ s t ə s, æ z-,-t ɒ s / ass-BES-təs, az-, -toss) [1] is a group of naturally occurring, toxic, carcinogenic and fibrous silicate minerals.There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals, each fibre (particulate with length substantially greater than width) [2] being composed of many microscopic "fibrils" that can be released into ...
Transite originated as a brand that Johns Manville, an American company, created in 1929 for a line of asbestos-cement products, including boards and pipes. [1] In time it became a generic term for other companies' similar asbestos-cement products, and later an even more generic term for a hard, fireproof composite material , fibre cement ...
Higher concentrations of airborne asbestos fibers are reported in urban areas where there is more ACM (asbestos containing materials) and mechanisms of release (vehicles braking and weathering of asbestos cement materials); concentrations in the range of 1–20 ng/m 3 have been reported. Fibers longer than 5μm are rarely found in rural areas.
Until the legal prohibition of asbestos in 1996, the company produced materials including asbestos, and was the biggest consumer of asbestos in the wider region. Between 1996 and 2016, inhabitants in the area surrounding the factory comprised a majority of cases of asbestosis , pleural effusion , mesothelioma in the country, as well as an ...
Asbestos is a known carcinogen. [5] It is the primary risk factor for mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs. [6] It may cause other lung cancers and respiratory diseases such as asbestosis. [7] When asbestos fibers can easily be made into airborne dust, the material is known as "friable".
Occupational health concerns and the protection of workers in the fibre-cement factories have finally led to the progressive elimination of asbestos from these products. [2] For health reasons, it is recommended that existing fibre-cement products that are in good condition are left undisturbed and possibly encapsulated, to prevent fibre release.
Working with the products containing asbestos – including asbestos cement – caused people to develop various pleural abnormalities such as asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma. [7] In 1961, it merged its brake lining division with Turner & Newall 's Ferodo, taking a 60% shareholding in Hardie-Ferodo. [ 8 ]