Blue Asbestos (Crocidolite)

Blue Asbestos's needle-like fibres are the strongest of all asbestos fibres and have a high resistance to acids. From the 1880s until the mid 1960, it was used in yarn and rope lagging and in preformed thermal insulation from the mid 1920s until 1950.

The high bulk volume of crocidolite makes it suitable for use in sprayed insulation (hover mouse over image to see illustration of use). However, Crocidolite is the most lethal of all the asbestos types.

Brown Asbestos (Amosite)

The harsh, spiky fibres of brown asbestos have good tensile strength and resistance to heat. Its uses include: insulation boards, anti-condensation and acoustic purposes, fire protection on structural steel, preformed thermal insulation, pipes, slabs and moulded pipe fitting covers (between the 1920s and the late 1960s).

The importation of amosite to the UK was banned from 1 January 1986 by The Asbestos (Prohibitions) Regulations 1985.

White Asbestos (Chrysotile)

White Asbestos fibres are curly and the most flexible of all asbestos fibres - capable of being spun and woven as easily as cotton, yet resistant to the fiercest heat and alkaline attack.

The most widely used of all asbestos types, accounting for approximately 95% of asbestos mined annually, it was used principally as reinforcing material in asbestos-cement building products.

Chrysotile was banned in the UK in 1999.