Heatproof mat
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![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/43/A_laboratory_heat_spreader_made_of_asbestos%2C_over_Teclu_burner.jpg/300px-A_laboratory_heat_spreader_made_of_asbestos%2C_over_Teclu_burner.jpg)
An asbestos heatproof mat over a Teclu burner
A heatproof mat is a piece of apparatus commonly used in tabletop lab experiments that involve moderate temperatures (for example, when a Bunsen burner is being used) to prevent damage to a work surface. They may also be used for domestic equipment, such as hair straighteners, hair dryers or other hot objects.
Traditionally, such mats were made of asbestos, often reinforced with a metal mesh, but fiberglass or other substitutes are now used because of the toxicity of asbestos fibres.