Friability

Friability

Friability means the ability to reduce a solid substance into smaller pieces with little effort.

Often, substances designated as being hazardous, such as asbestos or crystalline silica are referred to as being friable if they are present in such a state that it is possible for small particles to become dislodged, thus enabling them to become respirable (able to enter human lungs), posing a health hazard.

A friable substance is any substance that can be reduced to fibres or finer particles by the action of comparatively little pressure or friction on its mass, such as inadvertently brushing up against the substance. The term could also apply to any material that exhibits these properties. Examples include but are not limited to:

* Typically ionically bound substances <1 kg/L density,
* Clumps of dried clay,
* Chalk,
* Stone,
* Tablets,
* Crackers,
* Perlite
* Mineral fibres
* Polyurethane (foam)

Tougher substances, such as concrete may also be mechanically ground down and reduced to finely divided mineral dust. However, such substances are not generally considered friable because of the degree of difficulty involved in breaking the substance's chemical bonds through mechanical means. Some substances, such as polyurethane foams, can increase in friability with exposure to ultraviolet radiation (such as is present in sunlight).

ee also

* Asbestos abatement

External links

* [http://www.epa.gov/region4/air/asbestos/asbmatl.htm EPA Treatise On Friable Asbestos]
* [http://www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/hsc/iacs/acts/211102/paper45.pdf UK Advisory Committee Treatise On Friable Ceramic Fibres]


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  • friability — trapumas statusas T sritis fizika atitikmenys: angl. brittleness; friability vok. Brüchigkeit, f; Sprödigkeit, f rus. хрупкость, f pranc. fragilité, f …   Fizikos terminų žodynas

  • friability — birumas statusas T sritis augalininkystė apibrėžtis Fizinė grūdų, augalų sėklų, vaisių, uogų, daržovių ir kt. masės savybė lengvai ir greitai kristi, birti. atitikmenys: angl. friability rus. сыпучесть …   Žemės ūkio augalų selekcijos ir sėklininkystės terminų žodynas

  • friability — friable ► ADJECTIVE ▪ easily crumbled. DERIVATIVES friability noun. ORIGIN Latin friabilis, from friare to crumble …   English terms dictionary

  • friability — noun see friable …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • friability — See friable. * * * …   Universalium

  • friability — noun The quality of being friable, or easily broken, crumbled, or reduced to powder; friableness …   Wiktionary

  • friability — n. brittleness, fragileness, quality of being easily broken …   English contemporary dictionary

  • friability — fri·a·bil·i·ty …   English syllables

  • friability — noun excessive breakableness • Syn: ↑crumbliness • Derivationally related forms: ↑friable, ↑crumbly (for: ↑crumbliness) • Hypernyms: ↑breakableness …   Useful english dictionary

  • etching friability — ėsdinimo trapumas statusas T sritis chemija apibrėžtis Skystoje arba dujinėje terpėje ėsdintų metalų trapumas. atitikmenys: angl. acid brittleness; etching brittleness; etching friability; pickling brittleness rus. травильная хрупкость …   Chemijos terminų aiškinamasis žodynas

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