Friability is a term associated with asbestos materials. What does friability describe?

• A. The tendency of a material to crumble and release fibers.
• B. The moisture content of a material.
• C. The ability to resist fire.
• D. The color stability under weathering.

Answer: (A)

Friability describes how easily a material will crumble and release asbestos fibers into the air. This matters because friable materials can shed fibers with only light handling or ordinary wear, making inhalation exposure more likely. Non-friable materials resist fiber release unless they’re severely damaged, cut, or abraded. So friability is about the tendency to crumble and shed fibers, not about moisture content, fire resistance, or color stability.