Silicate Calsilite
For many years, a large number of insulation products were made with asbestos. The dangers of this natural mineral were not widely known until the late 1970s. Silicate Calsilite was a type of insulation product that was originally made in the late nineteenth century. Manufacturers stopped producing this item when the asbestos warnings became public.
General Aniline and Film Corporation (GAF) manufactured insulation made from calcium silicate under the brand name Silicate Calsilite. GAF produced a few different kinds of this insulation. Calsilite-SS was specially made to insulate stainless steel pipes. Regular Calsilite could withstand temperatures up to 1250 degrees Fahrenheit, and its heavy-duty counterpart, Calisilite-Hi could withstand temperatures up to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. Its many functions included pipe coverings and block insulation.
The GAF Corporation stopped manufacturing this product in 1972 when information about the danger of asbestos swept across the nation. In fact, in 1991 it attempted to take action against the United States for failing to notify the company of the dangers of asbestos. By this time an immeasurable amount of people has already been exposed to the dangers of asbestos. For many individuals, the warnings were too late, silicate calsilite had already caused pulmonary illnesses.
Silicate Calsilite that is made with asbestos is very dangerous to the human body. Being exposed to a minute amount of asbestos can be hazardous to one’s health. When the asbestos dust is inhaled, it gets stuck in the lungs. The particles cause the tissues in and surrounding the lungs to become inflamed. Once lung inflammation occurs, tumors begin to form. The unfortunate result can be mesothelioma. Some people who were exposed to asbestos do not get mesothelioma, but many people develop pleural plaques and asbestosis. Both of these illnesses are painful and make breathing difficult.
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