Mineral fiber

Description

A general term for any nonmetallic, inorganic fibers. Examples of mineral fibers are asbestos, graphite, and glass. Asbestos occurs naturally as fibers. Synthetic mineral fibers, called slag wool or rock wool, are produced by blowing air or steam through molten rock or slag. Mineral fibers are used as fillers in thermal insulation and fireproofing materials.

Synonyms and Related Terms

mineral fibre; mineral cotton; mineral wool; rock wool; slag wool; silicate cotton; silicate fiber; fibre minérale, fibre de roche (Fr.); fibra mineral (Esp.); lã de rocha (Port.); Mineralwolle (Deut.)

Authority

• Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993

• Hoechst Celanese Corporation, Dictionary of Fiber & Textile Technology (older version called Man-made Fiber and Textile Dictionary, 1965), Hoechst Celanese Corporation, Charlotte NC, 1990

• Rosalie Rosso King, Textile Identification, Conservation, and Preservation, Noyes Publications, Park Ridge, NJ, 1985

• Dictionary of Building Preservation, Ward Bucher, ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York City, 1996