Several fibrous mineral silicates a commonly called asbestos, including:

• Chrysotile (white asbestos) CAS No: 12001-29-5
• Amosite (brown asbestos) CAS No: 12171-73-5
• Crocidolite (blue asbestos) CAS No: 12001-28-4

Asbestos is a loose fibre, broken down from rock material, that has been mined in both Africa and Australia for decades.

Asbestos has been incorporated into a variety of materials for the construction, cladding and thermal or acoustic insulation of offices, factories and houses and in a wide range of products including:

• Heat resistant textiles
• Decorative coatings
• Asbestos cement pipes
• Thermal insulation for pipes and boilers
• Brake and clutch friction linings
• Floor tiles
• Packing materials and
• Roofs (Super six)

Asbestos is often mixed with other materials, therefore making identification based on visual examination difficult, and in most cases unreliable.