Mineralogical conversion of asbestos waste

A process for the mineralogical conversion of an asbestos waste containing asbestos fibers to a non-asbestos product, comprising:

• heating the asbestos waste in the presence of a mineralizing agent for a period of time sufficient to convert the asbestos fibers to a non-asbestos mineral, wherein said heating occurs at a temperature of 1000.degree. to 3000.degree. F. but below the melting point of the asbestos fibers, and wherein said mineralizing agent is selected from an alkali metal hydroxide, an alkali metal silicate, an alkali metal borate, an alkaline earth borate, or mixtures thereof, and is present in an amount sufficient to convert the asbestos fibers to the non-asbestos mineral, said amount ranging from 1 to 60 pounds of mineralizing agent per ton of asbestos waste, and further wherein said mineralizing agent acts to promote the conversion of the asbestos fibers via a solid state reaction to the non-asbestos minerals without the formation of a glass phase.