• 0p3r470r@lemm.ee
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    3 days ago

    It’s been banned in new construction for a long time I believe. What they recently banned was the niche use of it in industrial applications I believe. Which pretty much completely banned it

    • addie@feddit.uk
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      2 days ago

      It’s one of those materials that has an almost complete list of superb properties, with one overwhelming downside. It’s cheap, abundantly available, completely fireproof and can be woven into fireproof cloth, adds enormous structural strength to concrete in small quantities, very resistant to a wide range of chemical attacks. It’s just that the dust causes horrific cancers. See also CFCs, leaded petrol, etc, which have the same ‘very cheap, superb in their intended use, but the negative outweighs all positives’.

      One of the ‘niche industrial applications’ was the production of pump gaskets in high-temperature scenarios, especially when pumping corrosive liquids. We’ve a range of superalloys that are ‘suitable’ for these applications - something like inconel is an absolute bastard to form into shapes, but once you’ve done so it lasts a long time. But you still need something with similar properties when screwing the bits together. For a long time, there was no suitable synthetic replacement for asbestos in that kind of usage.

      If you know that the asbestos is there, have suitable PPE and procedures, then IMHO it’s far from the worst industrial material to work with. It’s pretty inert, doesn’t catch fire or explode, and isn’t one of the many exciting chemicals where a single droplet on your skin would be sufficient to kill you. What is inappropriate is using it as a general-purpose building material, which is how it was used for so long, and where it was able to cause so much suffering for so many people.

      • Twinklebreeze @lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        The biggest problem with it is that the particles are so small that they can stay afloat for weeks without any airflow. They are just that light.

      • NotSteve_@lemmy.ca
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        2 days ago

        Wouldn’t that generate a lot of floating particles of asbestos for anyone in the surrounding area?

          • jagged_circle@feddit.nl
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            1 day ago

            Wonderful tech! Extremely dangerous and illegal to have without also having brake pads…

            This reduces wear on brake pads. It doesn’t eliminate the need for them.

            • AA5B@lemmy.world
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              1 day ago

              Of course. As far as I know, every EV also has a normal brake pedal that operates normally using normal brake technologies.

              The goal is to maximize regenerative braking since it is frictionless and recovers energy, while minimizing friction braking because it wastes energy, requires maintenance and pollutes.

              EV drivers should expect double the life of their brakes, or more. Manufacturers also have incentive to maximize regenerative braking, since it directly increases the range of their vehicle at very little cost to them.

    • Oka@sopuli.xyz
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      2 days ago

      Allegedly, if there’s asbestos in your workplace, it’s better to leave it and not remove it. IE, in wall or ceiling paint

      • Lv_InSaNe_vL@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        Asbestos in it’s solid form is actually pretty harmless, and it has a huge amount of benefits. The downside is the particulates say in the air for days or weeks, and they cause horrific cancers.

        Its really hard and expensive to get rid of asbestos safely, but it’s pretty inert after it’s actually installed somewhere.

        • Dasus@lemmy.world
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          22 hours ago

          There’s a scene in Life on Mars, premise being a person from the late 00’s wakes up in the 80’s.

          They’re police and one episode they chase some person in an attic space with asbestos and the 80’s cops just bust through asbestos insulation and it’s all over the air and them. And the main character who points out it’s asbestos is fine with like covering her mouth with a piece of cloth.

          I was like “noooo gtfo of there, a little napkin hanging on your face isn’t gonna protect you”

          • Obi@sopuli.xyz
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            21 hours ago

            I have a good memory from that show, maybe I should watch it again, it has the master.

            • Dasus@lemmy.world
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              15 hours ago

              Ok yeah well if you know if I was actually referring to what is basically the sequel. “Sam” (John Simm) is from early 00’s and goes to the 70’s.

              Then there’s s sequel “Ashes to Ashes”, main character different, side characters mostly same, and it’s a woman from the late 00’s and the show is 80’s themed.

              Both great.

              I think they would’ve continued with John Simm perhaps but that’s just around the time he got the role as the Master.

              • Obi@sopuli.xyz
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                20 hours ago

                I’ve definitely missed the sequel, so even more reasons to watch both again!