Sweet gums are so called because they exude a fragrant yellow resinous gum.. The tree is known by a wide variety of names, among them alligator-tree and alligator wood (probably a reference to the warty knobs on the tree's bark), incense tree and liquidambar.
What is asbestos? Asbestos is the name given to a group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals that are resistant to heat and corrosion. Because of these properties, asbestos has been used in commercial products such as insulation and fireproofing materials, automotive brakes, and wallboard materials.
Asbestos is a generic name that is given to a group of fibrous silicate materials that occur naturally in the environment. For many decades asbestos was mined and widely used. Due to its unique combination of flexibility, tensile strength, insulation and chemical inertness it became widely used by industry from the 1800s.