Jun 9 2010
The British Petroleum (BP) oil spill controversy is raising eyebrows worldwide not only because of spewing an unprecedented volume of crude oil, but because proven technologies are being overlooked that can dramatically reduce the effects of the spill.
Dr. Mark Moskovitz, President and CTO of Dynamic Adsorbents, Inc. (DAI), has spent his career in separation technology and is outraged by the clean-up decisions.
"While our environment is being destroyed right before our eyes, the problem is being compounded by decisions to use inferior products and technologies to remediate the effects," Dr. Moskovitz said. "While BP may not be able to fully stop the flow of oil, it and the Federal Government have a responsibility to ensure that the best technologies are considered."
BP has recently sprayed almost one million gallons of Corexit Chemical dispersant into the ocean to dissipate the crude oil. Unfortunately, the toxic dispersant is causing adverse health effects to the people cleaning up the spill.
DAI's solution is alumina impregnated cotton.
"Cotton's absorbency power is woefully unrecognized and should be at the forefront of consideration for cleaning up this disaster," Dr. Moskovitz said.
The oil sorption capacity of many natural and man-made fibrous sorbents have been studied for years. Industry professionals are aware that natural sorbents such as milkweed, kapok, cotton and wool are far superior in their sorption capacity properties when compared to man-made sorbents.
"Natural sorbent capacities routinely exceed 30 grams of oil per gram of fiber," Dr. Moskovitz said. "Cotton is the superior choice out of all the natural sorbents due its sorption capacity exceeding 40 grams."
Dr. Mark Moskovitz and Hobbs Bonded Fibers, Inc. in Waco, TX, have co-developed a new generation of cotton materials impregnated with patent-protected alumina adsorbents. "Cotton, impregnated with activated alumina, should be used for absorbing the toxic chemicals and crude oil from the Gulf due to its ability to adsorb as much as 100 grams per gram of cotton, exceeding 2 1/2 times more than any other cotton-based products," according to Dr. Moskovitz.
Carey Hobbs, CEO of Hobbs Bonded Fibers, Inc., has spent his entire career in the textile industry and is at the forefront of its newest technologies. When Hobbs' superior cotton material is impregnated with DAI's customized activated alumina, the material will have the highest sorption capacity and will remove fumes and noxious airborne particulate materials through adsorption, addressing the problem of workers inhaling dangerous materials.
"The BP disaster is an example of an environmental disaster that we are ready to address now," Hobbs said. "We at Hobbs Bonded Fibers are thrilled to be working with Dr. Moskovitz and his scientific team. Dr. Moskovitz's expertise enhances the absorbency power of cotton, making this material the perfect tool for handling this catastrophe."