Chrysotile or white asbestos is the form that was used almost exclusively by the textile industry. While some types of asbestos are characterized by brittle, needle-like fibers, chrysotile asbestos fibers are soft and pliable, which makes them ideal for weaving into cloth. In addition to their desirable texture, chrysotile asbestos fibers provide superior resistance to heat (the mineral is nearly fireproof), are highly resistant to harsh chemical corrosives, and have a very high tensile strength-all of which adds up to a premium material for use in a wide variety of specialty textile materials.
The recorded history of asbestos-containing fabrics goes back over two thousand years to an era when the ancient Greeks first became fascinated by the fiber’s near invulnerability to fire. The Greeks used asbestos fibers for oil lamp wicks, the weaving of funeral garb for soon to be cremated persons of high stature, and the creation of table cloths and napkins that-as legend has it-were cleaned by simply tossing the soiled items into an open fire. In more modern times, during the industrial revolution of the 19th and 20th century, asbestos-containing textiles were widely used in applications such as those noted below:
- Theater, school auditorium, and other public building curtains and seating upholstery fabrics
- Firefighter and industrial worker protective garments and gloves
- Boiler and blast furnace cloths and blankets
- Welding blankets
- Circus and camping tents
- Military textiles
- Laboratory worker protective garments
- Public building displays such as banners, signage, flags, and much more
Turning Asbestos Fibers into Cloth
Before turning asbestos fibers into a woven material, manufacturers will first grade the raw ore material by choosing the longest length chrysotile fibers. Once the desired asbestos material has been selected, textile products are produced using the processes outlined below.
- Fiberizing and blending: Depending on the type of cloth desired, as well as the specific manufacturing operation itself, different methods will be used to fiberize (open and soften) asbestos strands before they can be further processed. Fiberizing can be achieved through the use of a kollergang (for example), a machine that utilizes a wet or dry method to crush and spread asbestos fibers before they move on to additional fiberizing machines such as a willow or creighton opener, both of which rely on a variety of mechanical processes designed to further spread asbestos fibers for optimal volume and softness. Once fiberized, the asbestos strands can be blended with a variety of other fibers as desired.
- Asbestos fiber carding: Subsequent to fiberizing and blending, the asbestos-containing mix moves to what is known as a carding machine, which utilizes a series of rollers and blades to further separate asbestos fibers while aligning them in parallel rows. The carding process includes the three basic functions known as: working, stripping, and brushing, all of which involves a complex series of actions that bring the raw material one step closer to becoming a usable fiber.
During carding, the asbestos and added fiber blend is continuously refined through the removal of impurities such as rock fragments, soil, dust, etc., before the material is formed into web-shaped sheets or laps. From these sheets, ribbon-like strips are cut and then bundled into fibrous strands that are known as rovings, from which all asbestos yarn is produced.
- Spinning: The spinning process is designed to add an increased twist to the rovings, and at this point in the process, reinforcing wire or additional yarns can be added to the blend. The spinning process is typically facilitated by either a flyer frame or ring frame spinning machine, both of which serve to provide the rovings with a specified diameter and tensile strength in a finished yarn suitable for weaving into cloth.
- Weaving: Asbestos containing yarn is eventually woven into a wide variety of textile products through the use of equipment that is much the same as the machineries used to weave cotton, wool or other organic fibers. Asbestos is woven into a broad spectrum of textile products that are created on looms that employ numerous weaving patterns and processes to produce high quality asbestos-containing cloth.
- Finishing: Subsequent to weaving, the asbestos-containing fabric is ready for washing, color dyeing, pre-shrinking, decorative design imprinting, special finish coating applications, etc. The asbestos textile product will next be cut into a variety of standard sizes before being spooled or flat stacked for shipment to numerous finished product manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, and end users.
