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submitted 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) by fdrc_lm to c/til@lemmy.world
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[-] 0p3r470r@lemm.ee 83 points 2 days ago

It’s been banned in new construction for a long time I believe. What they recently banned was the niche use of it in industrial applications I believe. Which pretty much completely banned it

[-] addie@feddit.uk 48 points 1 day ago

It's one of those materials that has an almost complete list of superb properties, with one overwhelming downside. It's cheap, abundantly available, completely fireproof and can be woven into fireproof cloth, adds enormous structural strength to concrete in small quantities, very resistant to a wide range of chemical attacks. It's just that the dust causes horrific cancers. See also CFCs, leaded petrol, etc, which have the same 'very cheap, superb in their intended use, but the negative outweighs all positives'.

One of the 'niche industrial applications' was the production of pump gaskets in high-temperature scenarios, especially when pumping corrosive liquids. We've a range of superalloys that are 'suitable' for these applications - something like inconel is an absolute bastard to form into shapes, but once you've done so it lasts a long time. But you still need something with similar properties when screwing the bits together. For a long time, there was no suitable synthetic replacement for asbestos in that kind of usage.

If you know that the asbestos is there, have suitable PPE and procedures, then IMHO it's far from the worst industrial material to work with. It's pretty inert, doesn't catch fire or explode, and isn't one of the many exciting chemicals where a single droplet on your skin would be sufficient to kill you. What is inappropriate is using it as a general-purpose building material, which is how it was used for so long, and where it was able to cause so much suffering for so many people.

[-] Twinklebreeze@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago

The biggest problem with it is that the particles are so small that they can stay afloat for weeks without any airflow. They are just that light.

[-] shottymcb@lemm.ee 10 points 1 day ago

We were using it in aftermarket brake pads too...

[-] NotSteve_@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 day ago

Wouldn’t that generate a lot of floating particles of asbestos for anyone in the surrounding area?

[-] chiliedogg@lemmy.world 1 points 9 hours ago

You should see the auto shop guys cleaning out brake drums with an air hose and just spraying it all over the place without PPE.

[-] technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 day ago

Cars are literally death. Yes, asbestos is part of it.

[-] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

How do we prevent aftermarket brake pads from catching fire now, then?

Thas a Lotta friction

[-] AA5B@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

EVs. Regenerative braking is no contact, not friction

[-] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 4 points 18 hours ago

Wonderful tech! Extremely dangerous and illegal to have without also having brake pads..

This reduces wear on brake pads. It doesn't eliminate the need for them.

[-] AA5B@lemmy.world 1 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

Of course. As far as I know, every EV also has a normal brake pedal that operates normally using normal brake technologies.

The goal is to maximize regenerative braking since it is frictionless and recovers energy, while minimizing friction braking because it wastes energy, requires maintenance and pollutes.

EV drivers should expect double the life of their brakes, or more. Manufacturers also have incentive to maximize regenerative braking, since it directly increases the range of their vehicle at very little cost to them.

[-] Oka@sopuli.xyz 6 points 1 day ago

Allegedly, if there's asbestos in your workplace, it's better to leave it and not remove it. IE, in wall or ceiling paint

[-] Lv_InSaNe_vL@lemmy.world 1 points 15 hours ago

Asbestos in it's solid form is actually pretty harmless, and it has a huge amount of benefits. The downside is the particulates say in the air for days or weeks, and they cause horrific cancers.

Its really hard and expensive to get rid of asbestos safely, but it's pretty inert after it's actually installed somewhere.

this post was submitted on 05 Apr 2025
491 points (100.0% liked)

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