Asbestos Types, Properties, and Science

Asbestos is the commercial name for a group of six naturally occurring fibrous silicate minerals. The fiber types differ in shape, durability, and disease-causing potential. Chrysotile, the serpentine form, accounts for most historical commercial use. The other five (amosite, crocidolite, anthophyllite, tremolite, and actinolite) are amphibole forms. This section covers the science of asbestos minerals, their physical properties, how they were used historically, and the regulatory status of asbestos today.