Diversification of chrysotile asbestos industry using resource-saving technologies: Risks and economic development of chrysotile mining and processing

The article deals with the integrated processing of chrysotile asbestos, diversification of the chrysotile asbestos industry, and with the use of new and advanced technologies and techniques. The world market of chrysotile asbestos, the world production of chrysotile asbestos, as well as the structure of supplies of chrysotile asbestos from Russia and Kazakhstan are described. The deposits of chrysotile asbestos being mined, the methods of mining, the cut-off grade, the structural geology features and the productive capacity of chrysotile asbestos quarries are considered. Ores of asbestos deposits of the world have peculiar structure and occurrence conditions, genetic type, material composition, rock hardness and asbestos content. The processes of serpentinization and asbestos formation at the deposits are described. The commercial-value geological types of chrysotile asbestos deposits are characterized, and the advantages of the chrysotile asbestos deposits of the Bazhenov subtype are highlighted. The trends of using chrysotile asbestos material to manufacture high tech products are reviewed. Uralasbest Company is integrated in the market economy, has a diversified production and effectively assimilates technological innovations. Diversification of the asbestos industry targeted at manufacture of new products at the maximum utilization of chrysotile asbestos material enables the chrysotile asbestos industry to implement the concept of the exportand import-oriented production on the domestic Russian market. This ensures development of high technologies and high quality production, which provides the industry with the parity with foreign producers, and allows financial sustainability of the industry under adverse external influence, at higher profitability and competitiveness.