Asbestos Insulation
Asbestos insulation has been used in many years now and still is a good option for both household and industrial use.
Asbestos has many advantageous characteristics that are not present in other insulation materials. Among these are its softness, flexibility and fibrous texture that makes its composition light and attractive. Its high resistance to chemical decomposition and disintegration makes it highly durable. Add up to that its frictionality and heat insulating properties. This coordination of assortments makes the asbestos the premiere choice of most home builders.
Finland is said to be the site of the first use of asbestos. This was evidenced in artifacts like pots and home insulator logs that carbon-dated to earlier than 3000 years ago. Ancient Egypt was also seen to be the first patrons of asbestos as traced in pharaoh clothes, mummy wraps and mummy embalmment. Use of asbestos was also rampant in the earliest civilization of Persia that was discovered to have come from India. Use of asbestos was divinized and believed to have come from the hair of an animal god.
Greeks were also to be found to be regular users of asbestos until a discovery was made by anthropologists that it struck an epidemic fear of its harmful effects on human bodies. Slaves were common wearers of asbestos treated clothings. After a long term of use, they suffered lung diseases. Greeks were responsible for coining the term “asbestos” which means indestructible by fire.
The industrial revolution in the 1800s signaled the widespread use of asbestos. This was the era when asbestos was integrated as insulation in manufacturing of turbines, boilers, oven, pipes, and heat producing devices. The increasing demand of asbestos led to the excavation of the first asbestos mine in Thetford, Canada in 1879.
This saw a follow up of asbestos mining in Russia, Australia, and Africa. In the United States, asbestos was greatly used in preventing heat accumulation in trains. From locomotive transportation, asbestos became an important component in various home and industrial applications including fireboxes, boilers, refrigerators and home heaters.
The American government had overlooked the potential danger of asbestos to human contact because demand and industrial utility for asbestos was so high. Asbestos played a great role in tanks, bombers, aircraft carriers and battle ships during the World War II.
However, the government has reconsidered the seriousness of health risks brought about by the use asbestos and finally a ban was instigated in the 1950s.
Asbestos insulation has been a common commodity during the 1960’s where homes used asbestos insulation in the attic and roofs.
Among its quality and industry standard properties are its high strength, heat and fire resistant trait, low conduction of electricity and heat help contractors build better homes and buildings. Pre-fabricated asbestos pipe insulation, spray type applier, fire proof material, decorative features, paper and cellulose insulation and other roof and floor products are some of the results of asbestos.
To know whether an insulation or asbestos insulation has high concentration of asbestos material, lab tests are to be analyzed. When a test shows that insulation has at least 1% concentration it is often referred to as ACM or asbestos containing material.
Asbestos insulation types are distinguished by the current state of the material. There are two states to determine if it is still in good condition first is non-friable and the other is friable. Friable state is characterized by a powdered reduction of the material. Non-friable is characterized by its airborne state. These asbestos insulation types are very important to know.
Asbestos used as insulation is more beneficial for industrial applications. However, harmful effects are at hand if constant exposure to the materials. Lung cancer and fibrosis are among the many ailments caused by a buildup of tiny asbestos fibers that can get inside the human lungs if inhaled.