Cement-bonded wood fiber is another substitute. Stone fibers are used in gaskets and friction materials. Another potential fiber is polybenzimidazole or PBI fiber. Polybenzimidazole fiber is a synthetic fiber with a high melting point of that also does not ignite. Because of its exceptional thermal and chemical stability, it is often used by fire departments and space agencies. Recycling and disposal In most developed countries, asbestos is typically disposed of as hazardous waste in designated landfill sites. The demolition of buildings containing large amounts of asbestos-based materials pose particular problems for builders and property developers – such buildings often have to be deconstructed piece by piece, or the asbestos has to be painstakingly removed before the structure can be razed by mechanical or explosive means. One such example is the Red Road Flats in Glasgow, Scotland which used huge amounts of asbestos cement board for wall panelling – British health and safety regulations stipulate that asbestos material has to be removed in specially adapted vehicles and taken to a landfill site with an appropriate permit to accept asbestos, via an approved route, at certain times of the day. In the United States, the EPA governs the removal and disposal of asbestos strictly. Companies that remove asbestos must comply with EPA licensing. These companies are called EPA licensed asbestos contractors. Anytime one of these asbestos contractors performs work a test consultant has to conduct strict testing to ensure the asbestos is completely removed. Asbestos can be destroyed by ultra-high-temperature incineration and plasma melting process. A process of thermal decomposition at produces a mixture of non-hazardous silicon-based wastes, and at temperatures above it produces silicate glass. Microwave thermal treatment can be used in an industrial manufacturing process to transform asbestos and asbestos-containing waste into porcelain stoneware tiles, porous single-fired wall tiles, and ceramic bricks. The combination of oxalic acid with ultrasound fully degrades chrysotile asbestos fibers. Abbreviations associated with asbestos ACM: Asbestos-containing material (technically, material containing more than 1% asbestos) AIB: Asbestos insulating board (AIB) See also Asbestine Asbestos abatement Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization Medical geology Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation Red List building materials References Further reading George B. Guthrie and Brooke T. Mossman, editors, Health Effects of Mineral Dusts, Mineralogical Society of America Reviews in Mineralogy v. 28, 584 pages (1993) . Asbestos: an introduction by JW Cherrie External links Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization The Asbestos Information Centre Independent site with