Amphibole asbestos · Blue
Crocidolite - Blue asbestos (riebeckite)
Crocidolite, also called blue asbestos, is a sodium- and iron-rich mineral of the amphibole group. The fibres are very thin and straight. It is the most hazardous type of asbestos to health. It was mined mainly in South Africa and Western Australia.
incl. VAT / sample · PDF report by email on the day the sample arrives
Mineral group
Amphibole
Colour
Blue
Formula
Na₂(Fe,Mg)₅Si₈O₂₂(OH)₂
Risk level
Very high
Characteristics
- ✓Very thin, straight fibres
- ✓Highest tensile strength of all asbestos types
- ✓Highest resistance to acid
- ✓Sodium- and iron-rich amphibole
Historical uses
- •Pressure vessels and steam pipes
- •Insulation of high-temperature hot-water pipes
- •Blue variety of asbestos cement
- •Gas mask filters (during the Second World War)
- •Acid-resistant gaskets
Where can crocidolite be found?
- •Old steam and heating plants
- •Industrial pressure vessels
- •Bluish asbestos cement products
Crocidolite in older buildings
Crocidolite was used less widely than chrysotile because it was expensive and dangerous. It is found mainly in the insulation of pipes and pressure vessels in older industrial plants.
Ban
All use of asbestos has been banned throughout the EU since 1 January 2005 (Directive 1999/77/EC). Many member states banned it earlier; the exact year depends on your country.
Health risk
Very high – the most dangerous type of asbestos. The thin fibres penetrate deep into the lung tissue and can cause mesothelioma even after very low exposure. Deaths from asbestos-related disease are several times higher among people exposed to crocidolite than among those exposed to other types.
Do you suspect crocidolite in your material?
Order an asbestos analysis – we identify all six types of asbestos with the JEOL SEM-EDS electron microscope.