The purpose of this study was to determine the factors affecting the acid degradation of chrysotile asbestos (Mg_3Si_2O_5(OH_4)) . Millions of tons of asbestos have found use in this country as insulative or ablative material. More than 95 percent of the asbestos in use is of the chrysotile variety. The remaining 5 percent is composed of various types of fibrous amphiboles. The inhalation of asbestos can lead to several diseases in humans. Asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma are the most common afflictions associated with asbestos inhalation, and they may occur up to 40 years after the initial exposure. It has previously been reported that if more than 50 percent of the magnesium is removed from a chrysotile sample its carcinogenicity is reduced to nil. Several inorganic acids were studied to determine their ability to leach magnesium from chrysotile. It was found that the ability to leach magnesium was dependent upon the acidic anion in addition to the concentration of the acid. The ordering of the efficiency of the acids in their ability to remove magnesium from chrysotile was found to be HCl > H_2SO_4 > H_3PO_4 > HNO_3. Predictive equations were developed to allow the calculation of the amount of magnesium removed under various acid concentrations as a function of time and acid species. The effects of temperature and dissolved spectator cations upon the degradation process were also examined. There was no major effect on the amount of magnesium removed as a function of spectator cation concentration. An infrared method was also developed to allow the determination of the percent degradation of a chrysotile sample directly. The shifts in the positions of three silicate stretching peaks (1068 cm^-1, 948 cm^-1 and 715 cm^-1) and one magnesium oxygen stretching peak (415 cm"1) as a function of the percent magnesium removed were correlated to allow this determination.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc279343 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | Ingram, Kevin D. (Kevin Dean) |
| Contributors | Daugherty, Kenneth E., Acree, William E. (William Eugene), Schwartz, Martin, Thomas, Ruthanne D., Atkinson, Samuel F. |
| Publisher | University of North Texas |
| Source Sets | University of North Texas |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | ix, 206 leaves : ill., Text |
| Rights | Public, Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved., Ingram, Kevin D. (Kevin Dean) |
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