Rock mineral serpentinite.

Natural rock mineral serpentinite is the raw material, from which chrysotile asbestos with it's unique properties is obtained. The Greek word "asbestos" means "inexhaustible", "inextinguishable", "unquenchable" - romantic notion of a mineral found in nature. Another old and not less romantic name is "fossil flax", all because asbestos readily separates into long thin flexible fibres of down to 0.5 micrometer in diameter. Due to the minerals' originality a lot of legends were made up about it. In one of the best the chrysotile is called hair of salamander, the misterious lizard living in fire. Since olden times in the Ural asbestos has been called a stone tow from which fireproof napkins and tablecloths were woven, and the wicks for lamps made of it in the olden times have served for years without renewal.

Chemical formula.

Chrysotile asbestos is the mineral of serpentinite group representing magnesium hydrosilicate, which is capable of splitting into the finest elastic fibres :

3MgO * 2SiO₂ * 2H₂O

Physical-chemical properties.

Regarding its natural properties, the Ural's asbestos advantageously differs from the asbestos both of foreign and home deposites. The strength of its fibres is the highest, the fibre is the finest and the most elastic, this ensures its highest weaving capability and the largest specific area. None of the known materials substitutes of asbestos processes the whole range of such useful properties as chrysotile.

• Density is from 2.4 to 2.6 g/cm³
• Specific area is from 90 to 160 dm²/g
• Melting point is from 1450 to 1500^oC
• Maximum rupture strength is more than 3000 MPa
• Friction coefficient is 0.8 units
• Alkali-resistance is from 9.1 to 10.3 pH

Chemical compound.

C o m p o u n d	C o n t e n t (%)
SiO2	40.70 ... 42.80
Al2O3	0.45 ... 1.40
Cr2O3	0.01 ... 0.09
FeO	0.09 ... 1.25
Fe2O3	0.30 ... 1.44
MgO	41.00 ... 42.30
MnO	0.00 ... 0.27
CaO	0.00 ... 0.40
NiO	0.00 ... 0.24
Na2O	0.00 ... 0.08
K2O	0.00 ... 0.05
H2O +	12.60 ... 13.30
H2O -	0.50 ... 1.30
Other	12.60 ... 14.00

Physical-chemical abilities.

Asbestos is incombustible. This allows to use it as material for the firemen and metal-makers's overalls, for protection of the cables and premises against fire, for thermal insulation of the muffle furnaces and heating appliances.

High mechanical strength and friction coefficient make it possible to use asbestos when manufacturing the brake blocks, friction linings and a number of asbestos-cement products.

High electrical resistance and fireproofness ensure the utilization of asbestos as agood electroinsulating material, which is capable of operating at high temperatures.

Rotting resistance, bacteria trapping properties, capability of protecting from harmful substances and radioactive radiation are widely used in the filtres of the foog, atomic and pharmaceutical industries.

High elasticity, strength, chemical stability, the highest adsorbtion properties are used in manufacturing the asbestos-cement products.

Unusual binding properties, elasticity and strength of the fibres allow widely to use the asbestos in manufacturing the asbestos, technical and textile articles, as well as reinforcing plastics.

The stability of the chemical composition, elasticity and strength are used at manufacturing the stampled and banknote paper.

The service life of the asbestos articles exceeds much the longevity of the metall ones being under similar conditions. For example, the asbestos-cement pipes in the pressure pipelines serve more than 30 years without any protection.

Despite the fact that nowadays asbestos is already used in thousand of articles, nevertheless the search of new trends of its application is still under way.