Old pipe insulation: is it amosite asbestos?

Looks like mineral wool insulation to me...

Asbestos pipe insulation....

They can have a similar appearance...best to test to be sure...

Fiberglass...

Fiberglass melts with a propane or butane torch, and this doesn't. It glows bright orange.

Could be cellulose...

That was my thought at first too, but even a small quantity doesn't burn at all under a propane torch. It just turns black and doesn't really reduce in mass (though unqualified my fingers are at weighing something).

I think mineral wool has much longer fibers. These fibers are very very short, like 3-5mm long. Mineral wool also decomposes with a propane torch and this doesn't immediately.

Testing is easy to obtain and not that expensive. I would recommend testing before undertaking any demolition project.

If it tests positive, he will have royal PITA on his hands. We once had a member from IL, who would probably pay him a visit

Thankfully the test showed negative. I really don't know what this stuff is though since it doesn't burn or melt.

I agree! I used asbestos gloves and asbestos insulation numerous times in the 60-30 years ago time frame, and am not aware of any negative consequences.

Very true, the two combined are somehow far worse than either alone. I don't smoke either, and don't plan to. I imagine a lot of other lifestyle choices also impact your risk of cancer as well. So although I realize the risk for me is fairly limited, it's still something I want to avoid.

I really thought this material would have been easily identifiable by someone just because it doesn't melt, and doesn't burn, and has small fibers (my thought was, what else can it be?). But this brown asbestos (if it is indeed that) wasn't very common in the US. Hopefully I'll get the results next week.

Asbestos + Smoking = Deadly Combination

My daughter at university had those studies as an example of poor statistical research. The problem was multi-variable and not just asbestos or just smoking, but it was the combination that was lethal.

(Back in the 50's and 60's we used to make puppet heads out of asbestos at school. Seams in heating ducts and flue pipes were sealed with asbestos tape. I have been exposed to tons of asbestos - but have never smoked.- cross my fingers - baby boomers have had huge exposures.)

Yes, I believe most of us had some exposure. I'm pretty sure I did.

I found pictures online of Amosite asbestos insulation.

This sure looks like a close match to your pictures. I'll be curious to see what the test results show.

Surprisingly, the test showed it was 0% asbestos! So good news. I'm still amazed it doesn't burn and doesn't melt. It almost can't be some kind of plant fiber. I don't know what it is!

I'd send it to a lab. If it's not hazardous, then you can make more and sell it. It could be a replacement for asbestos, without the health risk. Could be worth a lot of money!

I did and thankfully, it was negative. I'm still puzzled how it doesn't burn like modern fiber insulation does. I'll still wear a dust mask when I disturb it though.

I saw a company remove Asbestos on pipes. They used pump sprayer that was filled with soapy water. the soapy water was used to wet and impreg the asbestos mat

once the material is wet it can safely be removed and put into bags. i have been told that a light oil also works.

once the material is wet is will not shed airborne particles which one would inhale.

That's a good idea, I was actually thinking of using oil of some kind.

many people do not realize that breathing in asbestos can be a daily exercise.

for many years brake shoes were made using asbestos. well lots of that dust is still on the edges of our nations highways and is kicked up airborne on dry days.

i believe this is not even mentioned as it would be ridiculously expensive to remove all that hazardous waste on our highways and byways.

so next time you see the guy next to you picking his nose... i guess you could say he is asbestos mining.

Yeah, asbestos is everywhere to some degree. I'm just concerned because I removed the asbestos roof on my old house in Sweden, so I already had some exposure (even with precautions, you still expose yourself to it a bit). So I want to limit further exposure of course.

I have heard that the wear in brake shoes takes off the hooks that hold asbestos in the lungs; therefore, it is not as dangerous as the virgin stuff. Don't know about other cars, but VWs had a hole in the brake drum; many times I saw mechanics stick an air nozzle in that hole and twirl it around to blow out the dust.

If what you have turns out to be asbestos, try not to disturb it. For a bit more safety, you might spray it with some sort of sealer that will dry and create a hard surface.

I have heard the word "friable" used; friable is dangerous, but non-friable is OK.

https://www.pennmedicine.org/cancer/types-of-cancer/mesothelioma/asbestos-cancer/types-of-asbestos

I believe this stuff to be Amosite, and what my old roof in Sweden had was definitely Chrysotile. Chrysotile is the least risky tyle because the fibers tend to be larger, so for the same mass there are fewer of them. It's worse than fiberglass in your lungs, but not as dangerous as one might expect. Amosite has much smaller fibers and tends to cause more damage than other types.

You've done the right thing. Golden rule: if there's any doubt, test. In the meantime treat it as if it is asbestos. If the test come back negative, no harm done.

Asbestos is found in nature. That doesn't mean we should not be cautious about it, however I believe that our society has become too scared of asbestos.

If your asbestos isn't being moved/touched or blown into the air, it's best to leave it alone. If you feel you need to remove it, you can spray it down, so it doesn't get airborne, then you can remove it. But check with your state first! Some states require you to store the asbestos in an approved facility - you can't throw it in the trash. It could be a Federal requirement - I'm not an expert.

Here's a true story. Someone I know had a pipe that was made of asbestos in his house. It was connected to a furnace and ran out the roof - I believe it was a post war tract house. He had a contractor doing some work in the attic and he stopped and came down. He told the owner that he has an asbestos pipe that he can't touch and that it needs to be removed. The contractor placed some sort of notice with the county or state. The homeowner was forced to hire an asbestos removal company, who went into his attic with a spacesuit type covering, taped off the area inside the house and in the attic (and maybe the roof) and then removed the pipe. The company took the pipe to a special storage place, where the homeowner must now pay a storage fee forever!

I was told that the old 1950's square floor tiles (you guys know the one, brown with speckles/fissures of off white with speckles/fissures, etc) have asbestos in them and the glue they used also has asbestos. I was also told that it's best to "not disturb" them and it's safe to tile over them.

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who replied. The results came back as negative, so it is a bit of a mystery as to what it is. But, it should be more or less harmless! I'll still use a mask, regardless.