crocidolite
/krə(ʊ)ˈsɪdəlʌɪt
/noun [mass noun]
A fibrous blue or green mineral consisting of a silicate of iron and sodium. Also called blue asbestos.Most amphibole asbestos was mined as crocidolite and amosite from Precambrian banded ironstones in South Africa and, to a lesser extent, Western Australia....
- Both amosite and crocidolite, which typically contains well over 20% iron by weight, are biochemically reactive in the lung because of the catalytic effects of ferrous iron present on the fibre surface.
- Asbestos, a fibrous hydrous silicate mineral, exists in 6 forms for industrial use: actinolite, amosite, anthophyllite, chrysotile, crocidolite, and tremolite.
Origin
Mid 19th century: from Greek krokis, krokid- 'nap of cloth' + -lite.