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 • absorption: retention of the pollutant within the sorbent itself 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 Xsorb, 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.
So next time you reach for a sorbent think, “Do I want a rock or a sponge?”
