What are Spill Absorbents?

A good quality spill absorbent mops up and soaks up spillages, unwanted leakage, and puddling, wicking away the excess liquid into the core of the absorbent material. Spill absorbents can typically hold many times their own weight in soaked-up liquids or oils, often using a quick-wicking open-backed matting material that's robust enough to be driven over by forklifts and other work vehicles.

Maintaining a healthy and safe working environment is an easy task thanks to our range of absorbents which can deal with potentially lethal chemicals & liquids, working efficiently to keep any area clean and operationally effective.

What type of spill absorbents exists?

Spill absorbents come in a range of product types and applications, with one thing in common - they're specifically designed to provide excellent absorbency in the event of an accidental leak of fluids such as oils, harsh chemicals or any other type of industrial liquid product.

Many spill absorbent products are sold either as mats, pads, or pillows, due to the convenience of being able to apply them quickly to a spill. Furthermore, both mats and pads tend to cover large, flat areas relatively easy.

However, there are many alternative options, including:

• A spill absorbent sock is a flexible tube of absorbent filler material, designed to quickly limit the spread of smaller indoor spills
• An even longer version of the sock intended for outdoor use on larger spills or areas of land/water tends to be called a boom
• Absorbent sheets are rather like very large tissues, and tend to come in similar-looking stacks, but have a much higher capacity for soaking up and holding liquids
• Heavy-duty spill absorbent rolls are common in workshops and on factory floors
• Spill absorbent powders, such as alumina silicate pouches, can be used to absorb and solidify spills of body fluids, hydrocarbons, industrial liquids and aggressive chemicals

Most spill absorber products are colour-coded either in white, yellow or black/grey - white usually means suitable for oil spills only, black/grey tends to mean anything except aggressive/corrosive chemicals, while yellow can absorb anything including aggressive chemicals.

Applications of Spill Absorbents

There are several applications and uses of absorbents dependant on the type of liquid needing cleaned. Common applications include:

• Oil
• Chemical
• (Industrial) Maintenance
• Marine Use

Browse the broad range of Spill Absorbents RS have to offer from top brands including; 3M, Brady, Ecospill, Lubetech, Pyrasorb & our very own RS PRO.