In a recent Bio-Based A-List, we looked at paraxylene, that clear plastic bottling material that is a tough see-through barrier material. Not much gets through these little molecules. Here’s something a little different — a material that absorbs the tough stuff, instead of keeping it out.
It’s Bio-Aabsorb Micro N from Aabaco. It soaks up to one gallon of oil for every pound of absorbent material, and is filled with oil-eating microbes that break down 98 percent of oil spills within weeks, instead of months.
Product Description
Bio-Aabsorb Micro N is an all-natural plant fiber that is not chemically modified, but is infused with concentrated natural soil microbes and nitrogen, thereby enhancing the ability to break down and digest oil and other hydrocarbons. All ingredients are natural, non-toxic, non-hazardous and biodegradable. Therefore, there are no potential safety hazards to people or animals.
Bio-Aabsorb Micro N is far superior to other types of absorbents as one pound of the material absorbs up to one gallon of oil. It has the unique ability to absorb the same amount of oil whether it is wet or dry. The product holds the oil and does not allow the oil to be replaced by water. It works in fresh and salt water, and it continues to float even after it has been completely saturated with oil.
Due to the concentration of oil-eating microbes, degradation of 98 percent should be expected in as little as two to three weeks, not months like other products. The final material produced by the self-composting process is a humic material or simply, soil. This eliminates the need to pay for removal of contaminated absorbents. Bio-Aabsorb Micro N also suppresses flammable vapors when applied and wetted.
Product Applications
Oil (hydrocarbon) remediation for roadside spills, shop floors, driveways, basements, oil containment areas, lakes, ponds, waterways, contaminated soil, car and truck washes, and many more.
Unique Features
It’s a proprietary bio-based United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Bio Preferred Product. It absorbs eight to 10 times its weight, converts hydrocarbon to humic soil and eliminates the need to remove contaminants. If desired, it can be disposed of easily as a non-hazardous material and reduces total petroleum hydrocarbons; benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene and xylenes; and BMTE.
Why Is this an A-List, Bio-Based Product?
Well, this is a performance story — remediate your spill accident in a fraction of the time — that’s power performance. But there’s a cost benefit as well. As the company notes, the final material produced by the self-composting process is a humic material or simply, soil. This eliminates the need to pay for removal of contaminated absorbents.
So — win on power, win on cost. Win on planet. It’s a trio of benefits that anyone from a sworn libertarian to a tree-hugging environmentalist can love.
About the A-List
All products covered in the Bio-Based Digest have significant bio-based content — hence, the “B-List” — and thereby help to create a more eco-friendly, sustainable set of product choices, and offer comparable performance to more carbon-intensive (the C-List) products and materials.
Beyond the B-List, there are products that, in addition to having a bio-based benefit, have superior performance or cost benefits. Those that have cost or performance benefits that are third-party verified or otherwise testable, are eligible for the Digest’s A-List.
For more information, please visit www.aabaco.com.