From one of my Ladybird books (Rocks and Minerals).
I have a slab of this that my father brought me home from the Curragh,
used probably for boiler lining. I think I used to use it on a portable
gas stove when heating stuff. There was also a layer of asbestos on the
gauze mats we placed on tripods in chemistry class in school. That was
to prevent the direct flame of a Bunsen burner cracking glass beakers
and flasks.
