How many of you have heard the word adsorb? No, not absorb, but adsorb. Most people haven’t, but it makes a huge difference. Let’s look at the difference in the context of spill clean-up:
- Adsorption: retention of the pollutant on the surface of the sorbent. A substance that takes up another material which coats the exterior surface and does not fully incorporate into the substance.
- ABsorption: retention of the pollutant within the sorbent itself. A substance that soaks up and traps a liquid in such a way that the incorporated material loses much of its own identity.
What does that mean? Imagine spreading out a bunch of little rocks over a spill. The only thing that will happen is that some of the spill will stick to the surface of the rocks. When you remove the rocks, part of the spill is left behind. That’s what happens when you use clay or diatomaceous earth. With Spill Hero granular absorbents, you’re essentially spreading out a bunch of little sponges. These sponges soak up the spill, retaining it within itself. It leaves the surface clean and dry.
Spill Hero granular absorbents fully encapsulates and permanently traps liquids. It prevents absorbed liquids from contaminating the environment and passes the EPA tests (TCLP, PFT, LRT) proving that they are non-leaching. Spill Hero is also highly absorbent requiring less material for spill clean-up and disposal.
Clay and DE Clay (kitty litter), Diatomaceous Earth (D.E.), are adsorbents. Liquids simply coat and stick to the outside of these materials, which can ultimately result in their release known as leaching. Heavier and less capacity than most absorbents requiring more for spill cleanup and disposal.