Building insulation materials weak and brittle. Before its risks were recognized, it was used because it was a cheap, effective insulator with a high R-value and its open-cell structure was a good acoustic insulator. Though it absorbed moisture easily, it regained effectiveness as an insulator when dried. Asbestos once found common use as an insulation material in homes and buildings because it is fireproof, a good thermal and electrical insulator, and resistant to chemical attack and wear. It has been found that asbestos can cause cancer when in friable form (that is, when likely to release fibers into the air - when broken,
Mineral wool Mineral wool Mineral wool is any fibrous material formed by spinning or drawing molten mineral or rock materials such as slag and ceramics. Applications of mineral wool include thermal insulation (as both structural insulation and pipe insulation, though it is not as fire-resistant as high-temperature insulation wool), filtration, soundproofing, and hydroponic growth medium. Mineral wool is also known as "mineral fiber", "mineral cotton", "mineral fibre", "man-made mineral fibre" (MMMF), and "man-made vitreous fiber" (MMVF). The nomenclature of these wool products is simply the parent/raw material name in prefix to "wool". Specific mineral wool products are "stone wool" and "slag wool".