Asbestos products

The list of asbestos products below is from the Department of Environment booklet “Asbestos Materials in Buildings.”

It is not a complete list.

Asbestos Product	Use	Asbestos Content	Comments
Sprayed asbestos coatings	Thermal and acoustic insulation Fire and condensation protection	Sprayed coatings contain up to 85% asbestos. Crocidolite (blue asbestos) was used for thermal insulation of steam turbines until 1970. Amosite (brown asbestos) was used for fire protection, structural steel condensation protection, acoustic control. Chrysotile (white asbestos), with mineral wool and binder, was used until 1974. Chrysotile was also used as a coating on top of other sprayed asbestos.	Potential for fibre release unless sealed. Potential increases as the materials age or become friable and disintegrate. Dust released may then accumulate. Removal of sprayed coating is a licensed activity.
Asbestos lagging	Thermal insulation of pipes, boilers, pressure vessels, pre-formed pipe sections, slabs, tape, rope, corrugated paper, quilts, felts and blankets	All types of asbestos have been used. Content varies.	Friability depends on the nature of the lagging. Potential for fibre release unless sealed. Potential increases as materials age or become friable and disintegrate. Dust releases may then accumulate. Removal is a licensed activity.
Insulating boards	Fire protection, thermal and acoustic insulation, resistance to moisture movement and general building board. Used in ducts,firebreaks, infill panels, partitions and ceilings (including ceiling tiles), roof underlays, wall lining, bath panels, external canopies and porch linings.	Crocidolite (blue asbestos) used for some boards up to 1965. 16 - 40% amosite or a mixture of amosite (brown asbestos) and chrysotile (white asbestos)	Likely to cause a dust hazard if very friable, broken, rubbed, sawn or drilled.
Insulation board cores and linings of composite products	Acoustic attenuators, cladding, infill panels, domestic boiler casings, partition and ceiling panels, oven linings and suspended floor systems.
Ropes and yarns	Lagging, jointing and packing materials. Heat/fire resisting gaskets and seals. Caulking in brickwork. Boiler and flue sealing. Plaited asbestos tubing in electric cable	All types of asbestos were used until 1970. Since then only chrysotile has been used. Asbestos content approximately 100%	Fibre may be released when large quantities of unbonded material are stored or handled.
Cloth	Thermal insulation and lagging including fire-resisting blankets, mattresses and protective curtains, gloves, aprons, overalls etc.	All types of asbestos have been used in the past. Since the mid 1960s, mostly chrysotile has been used.	Fibres may be released if material is rubbed
Millboard and paper	General heat insulation and fire protection. Electrical/heat insulation of electrical equipment and plant. Asbestos paper has been used in the manufacture of roofing felt and damp-proof courses, steel composite wall cladding and roofing, vinyl flooring, facing to combustible boards, flame resistant laminate and corrugated pipe insulation. Millboard was used in laboratories for thermal insulation	Crocidolite was used in some millboard manufactured between 1896 and 1965; subsequently chrysotile. Asbestos content approximately 100%	Uncoated asbestos paper and millboard is not highly bonded and should not be used where subject to abrasion or wear.
Asbestos Cement Profiled sheets	Roofing. Wall cladding and weather-boarding.	10 - 15% asbestos. Crocidolite and amosite have been used in the manufacture of asbestos-cement products, although chrysotile is the most common type.	Likely to release fibres if rubbed, hand sawn or worked on with power tools, cleaned with high powered hoses, deteriorated or decomposed.
Asbestos Cement Semi - compressed flat sheet and partition board	Partitioning in farm buildings and housing, shuttering in industrial buildings, decorative panels for facings, bath panels, soffits, linings to walls and ceilings, portable buildings, propagation beds in horticulture, domestic structural uses, fire surrounds and composite panels for fire protection.
Asbestos Cement Fully compressed flat sheet and partition board	As previous product but where stronger materials are required.	10 - 15% asbestos. Crocidolite and amosite have been used in the manufacture of asbestos-cement products, although chrysotile is the most common type.	Likely to release fibres if rubbed, hand sawn or worked on with power tools, cleaned with high powered hoses, deteriorated or decomposed
Asbestos Cement Tiles and slates made from compressed flat sheet	Cladding, decking and promenade tiles, roofing.
Asbestos Cement Preformed moulded products	Cisterns and tanks, drains, sewer pipes and rainwater goods, flue pipes, fencing, roofing components, cable troughs and conduits, ventilators and ducts, window and flower boxes.
Asbestos-bitumen products	Bitumen roofing felt. Bitumen damp-proof course. Semi-rigid asbestos-bitumen roofing. Gutter linings and flashings. Asbestos-bitumen coatings on metals	Chrysotile fibre or asbestos paper (approximately 100% asbestos) in bitumen.	Fibre release is unlikely during normal use. Roofing felts, dpc and bitumen based sealants must not be burnt after removal.
Flooring	Thermoplastic floor tiles. PVC vinyl floor tiles and unbacked PVC flooring. Asbestos paper backed PVC floors.	Up to 25% asbestos. Normally less than 10% chrysotile. Paper backing approximately 100% chrysotile asbestos.	Fibre release is unlikely to be a hazard under normal service conditions. Fibre may be released when material is cut and there may be substantial release when flooring, especially with paper backing, is removed.
Textured coating	Coatings on walls and ceilings	3 - 5% chrysotile asbestos.	Fibres can be released when "dry mix" materials are prepared or when old coating is rubbed down. The materials must not be power sanded. Remove by wet scraping if necessary.
Mastics, sealants, putties and adhesives	General.	0.5 - 2%	The main hazard is from sanding of hardened material. Sanding down with power tools should be avoided
Reinforced PVC and plastics	Panels and cladding. Reinforcement for domestic goods	Variable
Wall plugging compound	Wall fixings.	Greater than 90%	Made up from loose asbestos and cotton fibre with plastic dust.
Hair dryers, fan and radiant electric heaters, irons, toasters, Washing machines, tumble dryers, spin dryers, dish washers, refrigerators and freezers	Paper element formers, brake pads, compressed fibre gaskets and seals, rubberised or other polymer gaskets and seals.	Variable.	Asbestos paper has been used as heat insulation in hair dryers. In general, gaskets and brake pads are sealed within appliances and are unlikely to release fibres into the atmosphere.
Cookers	Insulating board. Fire cement, compressed fibre seals, rubberised or other polymer seals.	16 - 40% Variable.
Boilers, pipe work	Asbestos plaster with or without surface fibre layer	Variable.

The list is incomplete. There are other asbestos products and materials which cause disease.

Asbestos cargo arriving at Manchester docks, c 1957