When Asbestos Was a Gift Fit for a King
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When Asbestos Was a Gift Fit for a King
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Re: When Asbestos Was a Gift Fit for a King
#2I've heard this Charlemagne legend before but I'd love to see somebody put it to the test. I'm thinking the tablecloth would come out of the fire soiled with ash and bits of charcoal. I suppose it might still impress his guests but I don't think this party trick would work quite as well as the legend suggests.
Also, 'Salamander Cotton' is a delightful name for asbestos.
Re: When Asbestos Was a Gift Fit for a King
#3An exquisite read. The author (Amelia Soth) should be proud of something so captivating.
Re: When Asbestos Was a Gift Fit for a King
#4I've heard this Charlemagne legend before but I'd love to see somebody put it to the test. I'm thinking the tablecloth would come out of the fire soiled with ash and bits of charcoal. I suppose it might still impress his guests but I don't think this party trick would work quite as well as the legend suggests. Also, 'Salamander Cotton' is a delightful name for asbestos.
Less a tablecloth, more a placemat. And it is doubtful it was thrown onto the fire, where it would probably put the fire mostly out, rather than thrown into the fireplace to hang on something over the fire. There are also translation issues from royal to plain speak. Royals like this rarely did physical things. When the king is observed to "throw" something, it is more likely that he had it thrown by a servant who then placed the valuable object on a rack as planned. Readers of the time would not see a practical difference.
Re: When Asbestos Was a Gift Fit for a King
#5is asbestos really that bad? or is it the long term affects. if charlemagne just used it a show off thing in the diner would it have really mattered?
Re: When Asbestos Was a Gift Fit for a King
#6Build on this even in 1942, just prior to the discovery of the link to Mesothelioma, we were busily figuring out every use case we could for asbestos - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tC8L8ooBSgQ&t=1m8s
Despite the recognition of Mesothelioma in the early 1900s it took almost 40 years to associate the disease with Asbestos.
My understanding is that this was due to the 10 - 40 year average post exposure timeline for Mesothelioma to show up.
If Asbestos was discovered today would our contemporary understanding of materials science & safety prevent us from spinning up factories and use cases like this?
(1) https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/asbestosis/sy...
Re: When Asbestos Was a Gift Fit for a King
#7I've heard this Charlemagne legend before but I'd love to see somebody put it to the test. I'm thinking the tablecloth would come out of the fire soiled with ash and bits of charcoal. I suppose it might still impress his guests but I don't think this party trick would work quite as well as the legend suggests. Also, 'Salamander Cotton' is a delightful name for asbestos.
Less a tablecloth, more a placemat. And it is doubtful it was thrown onto the fire, where it would probably put the fire mostly out, rather than thrown into the fireplace to hang on something over the fire. There are also translation issues from royal to plain speak. Royals like this rarely did physical things. When the king is observed to "throw" something, it is more likely that he had it thrown by a servant who th…
That seems plausible, though not quite as cool.
Re: When Asbestos Was a Gift Fit for a King
#8is asbestos really that bad? or is it the long term affects. if charlemagne just used it a show off thing in the diner would it have really mattered?
My understanding is that it's only bad if disturbed and in the air. That's why popcorn ceilings, roof tiles, and insulation with asbestos is all "fine" and not mandated to be removed.
But yes, the long-term effects are the real problem.
Re: When Asbestos Was a Gift Fit for a King
#9is asbestos really that bad? or is it the long term affects. if charlemagne just used it a show off thing in the diner would it have really mattered?
Yes. Breathing it's fibers can cause serious disease and cancer. Asbestos was used as a common building material in New Zealand for insulation, roof tiles, ceiling tiles and texturing and more in the 1950-1990 period. If you do any renovation or changes that interact with asbestos, it basically has to be handled by a hazmat team.
https://ehs.oregonstate.edu/asb-when > When is Asbestos Dangerous?
Re: When Asbestos Was a Gift Fit for a King
#10is asbestos really that bad? or is it the long term affects. if charlemagne just used it a show off thing in the diner would it have really mattered?
I think it was particularly lethal to miners and factory workers. One of my great grandfathers died years after working in a factory that made mittens out of asbestos. Any process that disturbs the asbestos is going to be risky.