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TG/DSC study of the thermal behaviour of hazardous mineral fibres

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Abstract

This paper reports a systematic and comparative study of the thermal behaviour of fibres of social, health, economic and industrial relevance using thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry (TG/DSC). The mineral fibres selected for the study are: three chrysotile samples, crocidolite, tremolite asbestos, amosite, anthophyllite asbestos and asbestiform erionite. Powder X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were used for the characterization of the mineral fibres before and after heating at 1000 or 1100 °C to identify the products of the thermal decomposition at a microscopic and structural scale and characterize their thermal behaviour. TG/DSC data allowed the determination of the structural water content and temperature stability. Furthermore, thermal analysis provided a sensitive and reliable technique for the detection of small quantities of different mineral phases occurring as impurities. After thermal treatment, fibrous samples were completely transformed into various iron oxide, cristobalite and other silicate phases which preserved the original overall fibrous morphology (as pseudomorphosis). Only crocidolite at 1100 °C was partially melted, and an amorphous surface was observed.

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Acknowledgements

This research was conducted within the granted Italian National PROGETTO DI UNA UNITÀ DI RICERCA (PRIN) 2010–2011 –prot. 2010MKHT9B 004 “Interazione fra minerali e biosfera: con-seguenze per l’ambiente e la salute umana”.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036, Arcavacata di Rende, CS, Italy

    Andrea Bloise, Manuela Catalano & Eugenio Barrese

  2. Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41121, Modena, Italy

    Alessandro Francesco Gualtieri & Nicola Bursi Gandolfi

  3. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Torino, 10125, Turin, Italy

    Silvana Capella & Elena Belluso

  4. Geosciences and Geo-resources Institute (CNR), Torino Section, 10125, Turin, Italy

    Elena Belluso

  5. Nanostructured Interfaces and Surfaces, Centre of Excellence, 10125, Turin, Italy

    Elena Belluso

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  1. Andrea Bloise
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  2. Manuela Catalano
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  3. Eugenio Barrese
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  4. Alessandro Francesco Gualtieri
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Correspondence to Andrea Bloise.

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Bloise, A., Catalano, M., Barrese, E. et al. TG/DSC study of the thermal behaviour of hazardous mineral fibres. J Therm Anal Calorim 123, 2225–2239 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-015-4939-8

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