[Stoves] Chart of breathable particles

[Frank Shields]

Dear Crispin,

Rock wool was the only substitute I was looking for when asbestos was being
phased out. Newer ones I am sure are out there now. I think the fibers are
hollow and spring like that allows toxins to go inside by capillary and make
them strong and flexible. Different than mineral wool and other manmade
products. At least that was one explanation I remember. 

There was a lot of asbestos being used for all type of things. In black
roofing material, brake liners, water pipes, etc. It will be with us for a
long time.   

I would like to see that mine. 

Regards
Frank

  




Frank Shields
Control Laboratories, Inc.
42 Hangar Way
Watsonville, CA  95076
(831) 724-5422 tel
(831) 724-3188 fax
frank at compostlab.com
www.compostlab.com
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: stoves-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org
[mailto:stoves-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Crispin
Pemberton-Pigott
Sent: Friday, May 20, 2011 7:47 AM
To: 'Discussion of biomass cooking stoves'
Subject: Re: [Stoves] Chart of breathable particles

Dear Frank

>The fibers need to be >0.75" long to make into gloves etc. Amazing rock.

The only two places I know of that produce that quality are Asbestos and
Havelock Mine, Swaziland, which underlay the whole industrial development f
the country from about 1935. It close some years ago even though there is a
lot of ore left.

It had for decades the longest aerial tramway I the world. The ore was
placed into bags and loaded in 400 pound loads on a cableway that took it 35
km into South Arica, terminating just south of Barberton. Havelock, the town
and mine, is now owned by a small company which bought the entire place for
a few $. It is absolutely beautiful to visit and driving under the cableway
for miles is amazing. It is spectacularly mountainous. Havelock has a tunnel
diverting a river about a km through a mountain, necessary to access the ore
body which lay in a riverbed. You can take a rowboat through the tunnel.

Other types of asbestos, mostly used for cement products, were mined for
years in the region, basically in what is now the Mpumalanga Province. The
dumps from those mines are significant health hazards as they are mostly not
capped. A programme exists to do that.

What is the present replacement cementitious material that can be hand
formed to make stove innards? I would like to use some on the newest coal
stoves. Stainless steel fibres expand too much to work properly. It will
have to be something ceramic or perhaps carbon-based if the temperature is
not too high.

Regards
Crispin in sunny Waterloo


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