The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #78137   Message #1402437
Posted By: HuwG
08-Feb-05 - 08:56 AM
Thread Name: BS: Beautiful Names for Nasty Things
Subject: RE: BS: Beautiful Names for Nasty Things
Chrysotile
Actinolite
Amosite
Anthophyllite
Crocidolite (invariably referred to by Geol. students as "crocodileite")

These are the posh names for various minerals used to manufacture commercial asbestos.

Chrysotile is a form of the mineral "serpentine", the rest are amphiboles. Chrysotile was (and still is) the most widely used variety but is decomposed by acid, so Amosite and Crocidolite were also widely used, and are the most dangerous carcinogens of all of them.