Limpet fibre is a sprayed asbestos made from amosite cement and vermiculite.

Used extensively in the 1950-70s, it has since been recognised as dangerous as any forms of asbestos.

I found these pictures while finding out more about the company in Melbourne that sprayed Limpet, up until the stuff was banned, by a reluctant state government, in 1978.

Amosite asbestos is more commonly referred to as "brown" asbestos. This form of asbestos was found and is mined in South Africa and is considered to be one of the more hazardous forms of the material, second only to "blue" asbestos.

From the amphibole group - which is naturally more hazardous than serpentine asbestos - amosite asbestos was, at one time, the second most prevalent type of asbestos found in building materials, accounting for about 5% of all asbestos used in factories and other commercial buildings. Its colour comes from the natural presence of iron and magnesium found in this form of asbestos.

The amosite variety of asbestos was used primarily as a fire retardant in thermal insulation products, like ceiling tiles. Brown asbestos is now banned in most countries and has been for a number of years, but it can still be found in older products and structures, therefore still posing potential dangers, especially because this form of asbestos is highly friable. That means it crumbles easily when damaged, therefore releasing airborne fibers which can then be inhaled by those in the vicinity of the material.

When the infamous Wittenoom mine closed, James Hardy announced that all is well in the asbestos industry because now the nasty blue asbestos will no longer be used. This lie was picked up by the users of limpet as a reassurance that their product was safe.