A different "oil dry" absorbent

[willie59]

Many shops, including mine, use the typical clay oil absorbent to clean oil spills on the floor. I use it frequently and have it disposed of along with used oil filters and contaminted oils. But there is one other product I use that I thought I would pass along. When your out in the field, maybe have a machine that busted a hydraulic line and it dumped oil on the ground, not a good thing. You could use clay absorbent to clean up the spill, but it's not very effective outdoors on the ground. But this stuff is. It's called Peat Sorb, a natural peat product. The unique thing about it is that it has an insatiable appetite for hydrocarbons, all types of fuels and oils. It literally absorbs and encapsulates hydrocarbons, will never let go of them. And best of all, will not absorb even a drop of water. You could have a diesel spill on water, scatter this stuff on the water, and it will absorb the diesel and float on the water. Rain has no effect on it. Since it won't absorb water, rain can't wash the absorbed oil out of it. It also passed T.C.L.P. test meaning it can be disposed of in landfills even after it's been used as an absorbent. I keep a bag of it on my service truck at all times to clean spills on jobsites. It is more expensive than typical clay absorbent, but not even close to the cost of contaminated soil cleanup.







http://www.peatsorb.com/index.html

 

[Lee-online]

Caterpillar stopped all of their dealers from using dry sweep. It was apart of their contamination control.

We now use absorbent pads. They are more expensive but work very well. They only suck up oils and they hold alot. They are also good for stuffing into machines to suck up spilled oil.

We also use air powered vacuums to suck up oil and regularly mop the floor or wash it with a floor scrubber. Our shop is alot cleaner than it used to be 5 years ago.

 

[Bison]

My shop floor is still dirt,spilled oil goes back to where it came from

 

[cutting edge]

My shop floor is still dirt,spilled oil goes back to where it came from

oil sands,eh?

 

[willie59]

My shop floor is still dirt,spilled oil goes back to where it came from

Actually, that makes a lot of sense Bison, to me anyway. Problem is, there is not only folks that don't share that view, but eviro laws become stricter and more expensive every year. I posted this thread to give wrenches that go out in the field to work on busted equipment that has puked oil on the ground an option to contain the spilled oil, it is a big deal when it happens within the sight of enviro authorities. Also applies to a business like ours that has a gravel yard full of equipment. We can ill afford a bunch of oil slicks on the yard and, being a business, have an EPA rep stop by and spot them. Next thing ya know there'll be excavators, tyvek suits, and plastic bag lined dump trucks show up, big bill to follow. :yup

Here's an example of using Peat Sorb. Boss went to load a D65EX-12 on lowboy. It busted a transmission hose. He ran it off the trailer and immediately shut it down. But sure enough, oil running out of the bottom of it. I got the hose off late Thursday evening, put replacement hose on Friday morning. Had to add about ten gal of oil to tranny. Started the machine and moved it off top of the spilled oil, covered it with Peat Sorb. Came in to do some work on Saturday and applied more to areas of spill that were heavy with absorbed oil.

Here's a pic of the spill on the gravel. It's kinda hard to tell in a photo, but the heavy absorbed oil spots are dark brown, the drier portion in the center is the light brown color of Peat Sorb that's not saturated with oil.





So first thing this morning, Monday, I covered the spill with more to keep absorbing in the saturated spots. By noon, it started a drizzle of rain, by afternoon, pretty much a steady very light rain. I stopped by the spill on the way out to go home for the evening to look it over. The whole spill was pretty much covered with rainwater except for a few high gravel spots. I looked very closely at the water on the spill as well as puddles around it, I saw very little evidence of oil sheen on the puddles.





I'm telling y'all, this stuff grabs ahold of oil and doesn't let it go. If you have to contain a spill out in the field, the cost of this stuff just might save you a big pile of money from haz mat cleanup charges.

 

[grandpa]

Would you like to order it by the dumptruck load Atco?

 

[willie59]

Would you like to order it by the dumptruck load Atco?

You get the price right ya old buzzard and I'll call ya in a PO # tomorrow. Bah ha ha haha. :tong

 

[Bison]

Actually, that makes a lot of sense Bison, to me anyway. Problem is, there is not only folks that don't share that view, but eviro laws become stricter and more expensive every year. I posted this thread to give wrenches that go out in the field to work on busted equipment that has puked oil on the ground an option to contain the spilled oil, it is a big deal when it happens within the sight of enviro authorities. Also applies to a business like ours that has a gravel yard full of equipment. We can ill afford a bunch of oil slicks on the yard and, being a business, have an EPA rep stop by and spot them. Next thing ya know there'll be excavators, tyvek suits, and plastic bag lined dump trucks show up, big bill to follow. :yup

Here's an example of using Peat Sorb. Boss went to load a D65EX-12 on lowboy. It busted a transmission hose. He ran it off the trailer and immediately shut it down. But sure enough, oil running out of the bottom of it. I got the hose off late Thursday evening, put replacement hose on Friday morning. Had to add about ten gal of oil to tranny. Started the machine and moved it off top of the spilled oil, covered it with Peat Sorb. Came in to do some work on Saturday and applied more to areas of spill that were heavy with absorbed oil.

Here's a pic of the spill on the gravel. It's kinda hard to tell in a photo, but the heavy absorbed oil spots are dark brown, the drier portion in the center is the light brown color of Peat Sorb that's not saturated with oil.


View attachment 70671


So first thing this morning, Monday, I covered the spill with more to keep absorbing in the saturated spots. By noon, it started a drizzle of rain, by afternoon, pretty much a steady very light rain. I stopped by the spill on the way out to go home for the evening to look it over. The whole spill was pretty much covered with rainwater except for a few high gravel spots. I looked very closely at the water on the spill as well as puddles around it, I saw very little evidence of oil sheen on the puddles.


View attachment 70672


I'm telling y'all, this stuff grabs ahold of oil and doesn't let it go. If you have to contain a spill out in the field, the cost of this stuff just might save you a big pile of money from haz mat cleanup charges.

I hear ye about oil spills and environuts.

Digging up all the dirt in a spill and burying it in an other place don't make no sense to me either.All it does is make big economie for some and near bankrupty for the victem

Spill oil in the field,2 yrs later it grows like heck there,same with diesel.

Spill fertilizer and it won't grow in that spot for many years.

Funny,crude in the ground is considdered all natural,spill it back on the ground it becomes pollution. You go figger
:beatsme

Spills In the waterways is a diff matter though.

 

[FSERVICE]

Atco is there a local supplier or do you buy direct from them? looks like a great product i use the "Pig blankets" now but will try this stuff

 

[willie59]

Spills In the waterways is a diff matter though.

That's the neat thing about this stuff Bison, very large spills notwithstanding, if you spill some oil or fuel on water, you can cast this stuff on it and it will absorb and encapsulate the oil/fuel. It floats on water.

Atco is there a local supplier or do you buy direct from them? looks like a great product i use the "Pig blankets" now but will try this stuff

I get it from the folks that carry off my waste oil and oil filters. It's not cheap, I'm thinking like 35 to 40 for large bag. Seems like a lot, but when I hear horror stories of how much enviro clean up costs...no comparison. And it way out performs clay absorbents and pig pads for oil that is already spilled on the ground.

 

[tuney443]

Atco--looks like the cat's ass so I called them up,the manufacturer explained what I already read on your link and he said a local distributor will be a calling soon. Thanks.

 

[willie59]

Atco--looks like the cat's ass so I called them up,the manufacturer explained what I already read on your link and he said a local distributor will be a calling soon. Thanks.

I've been using it for some time now tuney, I must say I'm impressed by the results it gives. Biggest challenge Peat Sorb has is windy conditions. It is so lightweight, it's difficult to apply to a spill if the wind is stiff. But hey, nothings perfect. :tong

 

[Bison]

Hmm...I got plenty of that dry dusty peat in a dried up muskeg,maybe its one and the same thing.

Got to try that!

 

[tuney443]

I doubt it very much Bison.The guy told me it's a very special Sphagnum type peat moss that only grows in like 5 areas of the world.It is completely unlike other peat moss in that water sheds away from it.

 

[barklee]

:drinkupWe been using corn cob media. Bought a skid of it to sand blast brick on a job. We had a broken bag of it laying by the shop door and it sucked up all the rain water coming in.... so i have been using it ever since. Its pretty cheap at about $9.00 for a 50lb bag (this bag is much bigger than it sounds) It is cleaner than oil dry and sweeps up better. Plus it is alot lighter weight.

 

[Bison]

Having said all that about the peat-sorb and other products soaking up the oil.
What do you do afterwards with the oil soaked stuff?

 

[motrack]

Is this peat stuff your using OSHA acceptable? Will it burn and is it a fire hazard.
The clay based product was developed because of a factory fire where saw dust was used to absorb oil and caught fire with a great loss of life.

I have seen peat piles on fire before and ask because OSHA freaks out if you use saw dust as a oil absorbing product....... Dont ask how I know

Finely screened bark mulch also makes a great floor dry but is flammable.

 

[tuney443]

Is this peat stuff your using OSHA acceptable? Will it burn and is it a fire hazard.
The clay based product was developed because of a factory fire where saw dust was used to absorb oil and caught fire with a great loss of life.

I have seen peat piles on fire before and ask because OSHA freaks out if you use saw dust as a oil absorbing product....... Dont ask how I know

Finely screened bark mulch also makes a great floor dry but is flammable.

This might answer your questions some--right from their site:
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Complete encapsulation of hydrocarbons
Non Leaching
Picks up hydrocarbons ON WATER as well as on land
Suppresses flammable vapors
Is approved SEG Incinerable

 

[willie59]

Having said all that about the peat-sorb and other products soaking up the oil.
What do you do afterwards with the oil soaked stuff?

As for the oil soaked clay product I use in the shop, the company I use to process and dispose of waste oil and oil filters takes care of that. As for the Peat Sorb I use on outdoor spills, I don't know all the details and how far the product goes in being acceptable for disposal, but the maker of Peat Sorb claims it meets the EPA TLCP test for disposal in landfills. Kinda government gobblety gook, but here's a short brief discussing the TLCP test for measuring a waste material for how much it leaches contaminants.

http://www.ehso.com/cssepa/TCLP.htm

Is this peat stuff your using OSHA acceptable? Will it burn and is it a fire hazard.
The clay based product was developed because of a factory fire where saw dust was used to absorb oil and caught fire with a great loss of life.

I have seen peat piles on fire before and ask because OSHA freaks out if you use saw dust as a oil absorbing product....... Dont ask how I know

Finely screened bark mulch also makes a great floor dry but is flammable.

Not sure about it being flammable dry or soaked with oil, might just have to investigate that. But I use this product as an oil spill containment and removal media. The fire hazard outdoor is less of a worry for me than a heafty invoice for contaminated soil remidiation.

 

[Smith3129874]

Personally I’m happy to say I’ve ditched my clay products altogether. switched over to a new one called SpillFix that’s landfill safe, dust free, nonhazardous…it’s made my life so much easier considering how often cars inevitably cause problems in a garage! It’s not the only one I use but it’s a pretty nice multipurpose tool to have. Looks like it’s pretty similar to Peat Sorb overall though. It’s nice to see more and more options other than kitty litter type cleaner, at least.