This Fact Sheet briefly reviews what asbestos is, how it is identified, where it is found, and how it is used. Asbestos is a generic name given to the fibrous variety of six naturally occurring minerals that have been used in commercial products.
Asbestos is made up of fiber bundles.
These bundles, in turn, are composed of extremely long and thin fibers that can be easily separated from one another. The bundles have splaying ends and are extremely flexible. It is a commercial designation for mineral products that possess high tensile strength, flexibility, resistance to chemical and thermal degradation, and high electrical resistance and that can be woven.