INFRARED AND NUCLEAR-MAGNETIC-RESONANCE STUDIES OF SOME SURFACE-PROPERTIES OF ASBESTOS-ALBUMIN INTERACTIONS

The interaction capacity of asbestos with albumin was studied. Asbesto s fibres were treated with bovine serum albumin and were investigated by Fourier transform infrared (IR) spectrometry, conventional IR spect rometry and wide-line nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. In asbe stos, the presence of active sites on the surface of the fibres was ev idenced through external and internal OH stretching,vibrations. It was also demonstrated that in asbestos fibres treated with albumin mixed hydrogen bonds of the type O-H...N-albumin or O...H-N-albumin occur. A physical interaction between asbestos fibres and albumin was demonstr ated.