Mineralogical methods for identification of asbestos and their limitations

Abstract

Asbestos consists of fibrous aggregates of serpentines and/or amphiboles including chrysotile, anthophyllite − gedrite, cummingtonite − grunerite, tremolite − actinolite and riebeckite. The disper- sion staining method, X − ray diffractometry, electron − probe microanalysis and Raman spectros- copy are briefly reviewed to assess their potential use for asbestos identification. Optical, crystal chemical and spectrographic characteristics of asbestos are summarized along with their powder X − ray diffraction patterns, energy dispersive spectra and Raman spectra data.