The storage of hazardous materials, which can pose a threat to the health and safety of both people and the environment, requires great care and special safety measures. However, spills of oil, fuel, petroleum substances or environmentally hazardous liquids happen quite often, posing a real risk to the safety of workers and often causing very costly losses. The only way to quickly prevent their spread and limit the consequences of a spill is to use appropriate absorption materials, or so-called sorbents, which are used on a daily basis by the fire department, among others. What are sorbents and how do they work?
Sorbents - types and characteristics
Sorbents, or liquid-absorbing materials made of natural or man-made materials, are one of the basic tools for preventing spills and contamination with dangerous liquid substances. Used most often by firefighters, but also present on the equipment of plants working with hazardous substances, sorbents are non-flammable materials with very high absorption of both water and oily substances.
Among the sorbents available on the market, the main distinctions are:
- loose sorbents, used for the removal of oil substances, fuels, grease, lubricants, petroleum substances and water. Loose sorbents are available in the form of granules applied directly to the contaminated surface. After the granules have absorbed the hazardous substance, it is enough to sweep up and dispose of the sorbent residue - the surfaces remaining after its use are thoroughly cleaned and ready for further use.
- Sorption mats, used primarily for the removal of aggressive liquids, such as glycols and petroleum-based liquids. Their coating is durable and abrasion-resistant, which protects against absorption of the hazardous substance into the ground.
- Sorption sleeves, whose main use is to delineate the spill zone, are made of durable nonwoven fabric and filled with absorbent material. They are often used in laboratories and production halls, as well as where it is necessary to absorb spills from hard-to-reach areas.
How do sorbents work and when should they be used?
Sorbents in any available form are prepared from crushed plastics or natural rocks and minerals with high absorption capacity, which will enable them to absorb a dangerous spill quickly and effectively. Their main feature is non-flammability, thanks to which the sorbents can be used in explosive atmospheres and also by firefighters, for example, during fuel spills after a car accident. Depending on the type of sorbent, the way they work may be slightly different, but the general principle here remains the same - the sorbent is placed directly on the surface of the spill or around it (in the case of absorption sleeves), so as to remove the dangerous liquid as quickly and effectively as possible without the risk of contaminating the environment with it or creating a danger to humans.
One of the most common types of absorption products are loose sorbents, available in the form of special granules adapted to absorb oils, fuels, petroleum substances, fats, grease and water. Spreading such a sorbent on a contaminated surface allows the liquid to be absorbed by granules of various sizes so that it can be swept up and properly disposed of. It is loose sorbents that, due to their ease of application and cleanup, are the option most often used by fire departments and specialized cleaning services, as well as at gas stations or auto repair shops.
Situations in which the use of loose sorbent will have little chance of success are spills of aggressive substances, including petroleum-based liquids, glycols, acids, bases or other harmful chemicals. For such applications, special absorbent mats have been developed, which are characterized by a special coating that prevents the absorbed substance from entering the substrate. Depending on the number of layers of which the mat is constructed, its use can be limited to small spills of water, oil or industrial liquids, as well as to large spaces flooded by aggressive chemicals. In cases of large spills, it may also be necessary to use sorption sleeves with which to fence off the spill area and ensure that the liquid does not leak beyond the designated area of the fire department or cleanup crew.
Industrial sorbents in the BHP Gabi store
The use of specialized sorbents is not limited only to the work of law enforcement and rescue services - every workshop, laboratory or manufacturing plant operating with liquid substances should have sorbents in its equipment to prevent and quickly remove spilled harmful substances. In our store we have a wide selection of natural and plastic sorbents, designed to absorb both dirty substances (such as oil or grease) and dangerous chemicals and irritants.
