Ray, for what it's worth, you can probably stabilise chrysotile asbestos
successfully by soaking the specimen in a solution of Paraloid in acetone
and allowing it to dry. The plastic will bind the fibres and prevent the
production of dust, assuming normal conditions of wear. As for storage, I
just wrap the stuff in Gladwrap and put it in a drawer.
 
Cleaning out drawers is best done with a vacuum cleaner. Anything else
spreads the dust around too much. Use a cleaner with disposable filters,
and bag and bury the filters after use.
 
It should be possible to display the stuff in a normal display case with
no extra precautions, providing the case is tightly sealed. A specimen on
display in such a case should suffer no wear and thus produce no dust. A
sealed case is just insurance in case something wierd happens.
 
The whole trick in handling asbestos is twofold - produce as little dust
as possible, and trap what you do produce before anyone breathes it.
 
DISCLAIMER: this is the advice of a technician with ten years experience
in museum mineralogy collections. It works for me. However, asbestos
seems to produce hysteria at the very mention of it's name these days,
and as a consequence various authorities have instituted various
procedures for handling the stuff, which vary from place to place.
Compliance with your local authorities is your problem. My approach may
not meet with their approval.
 
 
On Wed, 7 Dec 1994, Raymond Craig Sanders wrote:
 
> I would like to hear from anyone who has experience
> dealing with chrysotile in collections and can offer
> advise concerning handling, storage, display, cleaning
> up contaminated drawers. I've looked at M.P. Lambert's
> comments in _Conservation of Geological Collections_
> but would like more extensive advice.  Also, does anyone
> know of a treatment or container that would make such
> specimens safe to handle in a classroom without altering
> or obscuring their details excessively?
>
> Thanks,
> Craig Sanders
> [log in to unmask]
>