Materials for the Oil Absorbents

Materials for the Oil Absorbents

For some oil spills, the best solution may be using oil absorbents, commonly referred to as sorbents. There are a variety of oil absorbent types, including sorbent socks and pillows, absorbent pads, and particulate sorbents. Oil absorbents also vary by application, and are available as hazmat/aggressive, oil only, or universal products. Oil absorbents are useful tools when cleaning up smaller spills, and removing final traces of oil that a skimmer can’t collect.

Oil absorbent materials fall into three categories—natural organic, natural inorganic, and synthetics. Natural organic oil absorbents are made up of naturally occurring, biodegradable material, such as Miracle Sorb produced from sugarcane pulp. These have a quality absorption rate and have the added benefit of being able to be incinerated.

Natural inorganic oil absorbents consist of material that is also naturally occurring, but wouldn’t be broken down over time. Commonly used natural inorganic oil absorbents include clay, sand, and volcanic ash. Synthetic oil absorbents use manmade substances similar to plastics and rubbers. While natural oil absorbents tend to be substantially cheaper, synthetics are typically more effective, retaining up to 70 times their weight in oil depending on the type.

Oil absorbents are easy to store in a spill kit, a must-have for any potential oil spill site. Particularly useful for cleaning up indoor spills, oil absorbents help reduce environmental damage and speed up recovery time. It is important to select the correct product for the spill. Our sales team is ready to answer any oil absorbent questions and help achieve efficient clean up.

Oil absorbents allow for easy removal of small hazardous spills. Effective oil absorbents offer an added benefit of being “hydrophobic”, meaning they will not take on water, increasing the absorption rate of oil. Using oil absorbents also helps reduce negative impacts to working environment and speeds up recovery time. Oil absorbents are easy to store and are important pieces of most spill kits. In larger spills, oil absorbents help take care of remaining traces of oil once skimmers and other tools are no longer effective