The Engineering Department / CBE

Level 5
P2.3:

Asbestos (definition / properties):

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral substance that can be

pulled into a fluffy consistency. Asbestos fibres are soft and
flexible yet resistant to heat, electricity and chemical corrosion.
Pure asbestos is an effective insulator, and it can also be mixed
into cloth, paper, cement, plastic and other materials to make
them stronger.

These qualities once made asbestos very profitable for business,

but unfortunately, they also make asbestos highly toxic.

Although asbestos fibers are microscopic in nature, they are extremely durable and resistant to fire
and most chemical reactions and breakdowns.

What is made from?

Asbestos is not a single type of mineral rather, it refers to a group of silicate minerals that share
the same fibrous nature. It is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals, which all have in
common their eponymous asbestiform habit.

Using of asbestos in electrical boiler room:

Asbestos became a ubiquitous ingredient in a new generation of fire-resistant construction

materials including cement sheets, roof sealants and adhesives for floor and ceiling tiles.

Asbestos materials have been used for insulation in buildings like using it in boiler room and in
various products such as roofing materials, water supply lines and clutches, brake linings, gaskets
and pads for automobiles.

Student Name: Amira Bashar Al.Nas Page |

Submission Date: 15 \ 5 \ 2018
 The Engineering Department / CBE
Level 5
Health and safety consideration:

All types of asbestos fibers are known to cause serious health hazards in humans, so the handling
of asbestos must be done with great care due to the toxic properties of this substance and its
classification as a known carcinogen.

It’s important to know that when asbestos is in good condition, it does not usually present a
hazard. However, damaged asbestos poses a great risk to the health and safety of humans as fibers
may flake off and become airborne. At that point, it’s possible for anyone in the vicinity to inhale
these toxic fibers, which in turn, can become embedded in the chest.

So when we work with asbestos we have to follow all OSHA rules and regulations related to
handling materials or products that may contain asbestos. Failure to do so can result in strict
penalties, not to mention severe health problems for you and others.

Adding asbestos to the cement mixture:

Asbestos was often used in buildings as insulation and to help

localize a fire and prevent it from destroying the entire structure.
However, the most common use for asbestos was as a cement
additive (asbestos-cement sheets).

By adding asbestos to a mixture of cement, the tensile strength

of a sheet of cement would be increased 10 fold.

Asbestos-cement sheets are used for roofing and for side walls. Millions of homes, factories,
schools or sheds and shelters continue to use asbestos. Cutting these sheets to size and drilling
holes to receive 'J' bolts to help secure the sheets to roof framing is done on-site.

Student Name: Amira Bashar Al.Nas Page |

Submission Date: 15 \ 5 \ 2018