Progressive Distributor - The sorbent solution

The sorbent solution

Oil, chemicals and other liquids create safety and environmental concerns. A good sorbent program can help your customers keep their plants clean, safe and compliant.

Slips and falls cause more than 500,000 workplace injuries every year. Debris and wet floors are two of the biggest causes of such accidents. The good news is there are several products available to soak up oil drips and other messy spills commonly found on plant floors. Distributor salespeople who know some of the basics about sorbent products can help their customers create a safer workplace environment and generate repeat sales opportunities.

Clay is the oldest and most commonly used product. These chemically inert products are inexpensive, easy to discard and absorb most liquids safely. But they’re also messy, labor intensive and dusty.

“This dust presents a two-fold problem,” says Tony Ruggery, director of the industrial distribution division of New Pig. “First, it finds its way into machinery, damaging engines and gears. Over time, this causes premature wear and equipment failure.”

The second problem is that clay contains crystalline silica. Prolonged exposure to silica dusts can cause silicosis, an irreversible lung disorder.

For customers who like the convenience of clay, there are other forms of loose absorbents on the market today. Some use shredded paper, peat moss and volcanic ash as base material, all of which are lighter than clay and don’t present a silica hazard.

One product recently introduced into national distribution and used by the military for 10 years is Stardust Super Absorbent from Paradigm International. Using a base material of fine-grain amorphous aluminum silicate, it absorbs any kind of liquid but doesn’t produce the nuisance dust common with clay-based sorbents.

“With a clay-based product, after you sweep up the clay, you’re left with a film on the floor. Stardust works instantly and leaves no residue when used properly,” says Kevin Brown, vice president of business development.

Brown says Stardust costs about three times more than popular clay-based products, but absorbs 10 to 15 times more liquid.

Spill kits may be the best solution
Spill kits are a handy way for customers to be prepared for spill emergencies. Knowing where the kit will be stored and used is essential to picking the proper kit. These questions can help match a kit to the customer’s needs:

1) What liquids could spill? If the spills are mainly non-corrosive, nearly any kit will do. If the spills could be corrosive or of an unknown origin, they’ll need chemical-resistant absorbents. For containing a gasoline spill outdoors in a climate where there is a fair chance of rain, oil-only absorbents may be the best choice.

2) How much could spill? Customers should be prepared to handle their worst-case scenario. This doesn’t mean they need to absorb the entire amount – just control it. For example, if they have a 500-gallon tank of oil onsite, they wouldn’t necessarily need a kit to absorb 500 gallons. But a kit that absorbs only 5 gallons probably won’t cut it, either. In this case, a kit that absorbs 100 gallons should fit the bill. In general, if the spill is 55 gallons or less, have absorbents to absorb the entire spill. If it’s more than that, judge accordingly. When in doubt, call the spill kit manufacturer for advice.

3) Where will the kit be stored? If it’s stored outside, the container must be weather resistant. If it’s stored inside, it may require wall brackets or wheels.

4) Are additional items necessary? Many kits do not contain personal protective equipment (PPE). Goggles, gloves and aprons that are resistant to the chemicals that could be spilled are good cross-sells when customers order spill kits.

Source: New Pig

“The message that distributor salespeople need to get across is not the bag cost or the cost-per-pound, but the overall reduction in the cost of removing spills,” he says.

In addition to clays and other loose absorbents, sorbent manufacturers produce a variety of other products. The most common include pads (sometimes called mats), socks, booms and pillows.

Pads
Most pads in the marketplace today are made of polypropylene, although some manufacturers blend polyester or other plastics with the polypropylene. A few manufacturers produce cellulose-based pads from recycled paper or cotton. Pads come in a variety of sizes and some are perforated so users can easily tear off only what they need.

“Typically, the stronger a product is, the less absorbent it is. The trick is to find the balance between strength and absorbency,” says Mark Johnson of Sorbent Products Company.

Socks, booms and pillows
Socks are made of a skin that is sewn or glued into a tubular shape and filled with absorbent or adsorbent filler. This filler varies widely and can be a cellulose material, such as corncob, cotton, or paper, or an earthen material such as vermiculite or clay.

Socks are moldable so they can conform to the base of a machine. Over-filled socks won’t mold well and under-filled socks gap and cause leakage. For spill response, a good sock hugs the floor and forms a dike to prevent liquids from passing.

Booms are larger versions of socks. Most booms are oil-only, and typically used on water to stop a spill from migrating further down a river or into a lake. Most booms on the market today have mesh skin and polypropylene filler.

Similar to socks, pillows are typically square or rectangular shaped. Pillows are commonly used under a machine to catch a constant drip, or in spill response to absorb a large amount of liquid.

Picking the right product
Before recommending the correct sorbent solution, you must know the liquid to be absorbed, says Johnson. That helps you determine if you need an oil-only, universal or chemical sorbent product.

“If you’re using a very aggressive chemical, you want to stay away from an organic absorbent. Some products just won’t stand up to hydrochloric acid, for example,” Johnson says.

The second thing you need to know is where it will be used so you can determine if a pad, sock, boom or other product provides the appropriate solution.

“If it’s in a main entrance, there is likely a need for high absorbency and high tread resistance. A meltblown mat that has a scrim on top will be a good fit. If it’s in an area that has heavy cart or forklift traffic, a needlepunched mat may be necessary,” says Ruggery.

Pads are probably the best solution for a slippery walkway and other large areas, and socks are a good solution for handling leaky machines. They hug the base of the machine so leakage doesn’t migrate into aisles or walkways. Socks are also good for keeping liquids from entering sensitive areas, or preventing rainwater from entering a warehouse dock door. Socks can also help channel liquids toward floor drains.

“When in doubt, sorbent manufacturers are a good resource for handling any slippery situation,” says Ruggery. “Chances are, they’ve seen just about every situation and can share their experience and expertise.”