4. 1 Introduction

Due to the material properties of Asbestos, there are a large number of application areas. Asbestos is an excellent insulation and binding material and a component of numerous building materials. The start of industrial use of Asbestos dates back to the last century. The number of marketable Asbestos products is estimated as several thousand. (see IACS, p. 1.1)

The most important application areas for Asbestos were:

· surface materials

· prefabricated products for heat insulation

· textiles

· cement type products for building construction (Asbestos cements): cement pipes (also in drinking water supply facilities) and cement sheets

· paper products

· roofing materials

· tiles

· wall paneling

· paints/coatings

· friction products (brakes, clutches)

· pipe wrap made of sprayed Asbestos

· membrane and filter technologies, separators, gaskets