Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous material that has been a popular among manufacturers and builders in the late 19th century because of its sound absorption, average tensile strength, and its resistance to fire, heat, electrical and chemical damage.
Because asbestos is often mixed with another material (like: cement (resulting in fiber cement) or woven into fabric or mats), it's hard to know if you're working with it or not. But, if you work in a building built before the year 2000, it's likely that some parts of the building will contain asbestos.
Asbestos includes chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite asbestos, anthophyllite asbestos,
actinolite asbestos, and any of these materials that have been chemically treated and/or altered. Asbestos is found in many products used in buildings, including ceiling tiles, pipe insulation, boilers and sprayed coatings.