A remarkable mineral

Title

Language

English

Year

1940

Subject

Asbestos

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Abstract

[One of the most remarkable of minerals is asbestos which is valuable in many ways. The fibers of this mineral can be separated and woven into a fabric which cannot be burned.]

Fulltext

August, 1940 THE YOUNG CITIZEN ELEMENTARY SCIENCE SECTION /A REMARKABLE MINERAL ONE of the most remarkable of minerals is asbestes which is valuahl_e in many ways. The fibers of this mineral can be separated and woven into a fabric which cannot be burned. In manufacturing asbestos goods, the fibers are separated .and are then combed, carded, and spun in much the same way as wool. From these threads 'are · woven fireproof curtains for theaters, indestructible carpets that grow tougher with age, and fireproof cloth which is used for many purposes. Its uses are constantly increasing. The coarser fibers of asbestos are made into bands for lining the brakes of automobiles. (See the illustration on this page.) • The coarse ii. bers are also made into fireproof jackets and tubes for electric devices. The ancient Greeks knew the peculiar qualities of this strange mineral, and gave it the name. asbestos which means "unburnable." It was occasionally woven by the ancients into handkerchiefs. Charlemagne, ruler of western Europe, who lived from A. D. 742 to 814, is said to have had a tablecloth of asbestos: When the tablecloth was .~oiled, "it was cleaned by simply throwing it into the fire. This mineral is obtained from mines in the United States, .Canada, and Italy. As m.o re uses are found for asbestos, its .value is constantly increasing. REVIEW I. Why is asbestos rerp.arkable? 2. Name some uses of asbestos. 3. Did the ancient peoples know of asbestos? 4. Tell of Charlemagne's tablecloth .. 5. Where are asbestos mines found? 6. Have you used anything made of. asbestos? If so, what is it? · THE WORLD'S MOST USEFUL ROCK ONE of the commonesi and most useful rocks is limestone, which is used for building, for road-making, as an ingredient in cement, and for making lime. Limestone is an aqueous or waterformed rock, formed. from the remains of water creatures such as shells of mo!-. lusks, coral skeletons, etc. Chalk is a white soft limestone composed chiefly of the shells of very s~all animals. Marble, which is found ·in the Philippines, is a limestone which has been crystallized under pressure and probably heat. '

pages

307

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