Friability

Friability means the ability to reduce a solid substance into smaller pieces with little effort.

Often, substances designated as being hazardous, such as asbestos or crystalline silica are referred to as being friable if they are present in such a state that it is possible for small particles to become dislodged, thus enabling them to become respirable (able to enter human lungs), posing a health hazard.

A friable substance is any substance that can be reduced to fibres or finer particles by the action of comparatively little pressure or friction on its mass, such as inadvertently brushing up against the substance. The term could also apply to any material that exhibits these properties.