"Asbestos" is a naturally occuring mineral that occurs in fibrous forms with a texture similar to fiberglass. Minerals that are included in this group are chrysotile, crocidolite, amosite, tremolite asbestos, anthophyllite asbestos, and actinolite asbestos.

Asbestos has been used for millennia in things from cement pipe to table clothes. The Greeks termed asbestos the "miracle mineral" because of its soft and pliant properties, as well as its ability to withstand heat and chemicals. It was used by the Persians in table clothes that, once used, were thrown onto the fire to clean off the evenings feast.

In the modern industrial age asbestos has been used in more than 3000 different building products because of its resistance to damage from chemical and heat which also makes it great for products that need to last a long time. These products may include sprayed on insulation, floor tile, building siding, fireproofing, acoustical spray, vehicle brakes and clutch linings, and many, many more products.

Though no particular window of time exists for many building products the high point of asbestos use is primarily recognized as the 1940s through 1981.