Researchers with Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology claim that they can melt asbestos. Their new technology has been reported to melt the flame-resistant material into a liquid. The liquid then cools and turns into a sealed solid that can be handled and removed without releasing dangerous asbestos fibers. The process uses strong infrared rays from a newly developed gasket. The researchers also claim that, while their technology will melt asbestos from a concrete wall in seconds, it will not harm the concrete wall underneath. Asbestos was widely used in industrial settings for many decades, and removing it safely has been expensive and difficult. Inhaling asbestos fibers, which are easily released into the air when asbestos-containing materials are disturbed, can cause a variety of serious respiratory diseases, including malignant mesothelioma.
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