metamorphic
Chrysotile Serpentine (Asbestos in Matrix)
Chrysotile Mg3Si2O5(OH)4
Hardness: 2.5-3.0 (Mohs scale). Color: White, pale green, yellowish, and brownish-grey host matrix. Luster: Silky to dull. Structure: Fibrous crystal habit, flexible parallel fibers. Specific Gravity: 2.53.
- Hardness
- 2
- Color
- White, pale green, yellowish, and brownish-grey host matrix
- Luster
- Silky to dull
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Physical properties
Hardness: 2.5-3.0 (Mohs scale). Color: White, pale green, yellowish, and brownish-grey host matrix. Luster: Silky to dull. Structure: Fibrous crystal habit, flexible parallel fibers. Specific Gravity: 2.53.
Formation & geological history
Formed through hydrothermal alteration (serpentinization) of ultramafic igneous rocks like peridotite or dunite rich in olivine and pyroxene at low temperatures and pressures.
Uses & applications
Historically used extensively in flame-retardant materials, thermal insulation, brake linings, and construction tiles. Today, usage is heavily restricted due to health hazards.
Geological facts
Chrysotile accounts for about 95% of the asbestos used commercially worldwide. While chemically identical to non-fibrous serpentine minerals like lizardite or antigorite, its fibrous growth form makes it hazardous if inhaled.
Field identification & locations
Identified by distinctive silky white fibers forming veinlets within darker, iron-stained metamorphic serpentine matrix. Commonly found in ultramafic tectonic belts worldwide, such as in Quebec (Canada), the Ural Mountains (Russia), and California (USA).
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