U.S. Navy Ship Salvage Manual Volume 6 - Oil Spill Response

S0300-A6-MAN-060Table 5-1. Oil Sorbent Types.Absorbent types:Type I (loose)Type II (roll, sheet, pad, pillow,web)Type III (booms)Unconsolidated particulate material without sufficient form or strength to behandled as a single unit. May be blended with absorbents for specific applications.Material has form and strength sufficient to be lifted and handled when saturatedwithout tearing.Absorbent material in a form whose length substantially exceeds other dimensions.Booms are provided with connector units so they may be coupled withother booms.Absorbent types:Type I (roll, sheet, blanket, pad,web)Type II (loose)Material with length and width much greater than thickness and strength to belifted and handled either saturated or unsaturated.Unconsolidated particulate material without sufficient form or strength to behandled as a single unit.Type III (enclosed)Type IIIa (pillow)Type IIIb (boom)Type IV (agglomeration unit)Absorbent material with an outer fabric or netting that is permeable to oil butwith sufficiently small openings that the sorbent materials is substantially contained.Absorbent material contained as Type IIIa in form with length substantiallygreater than other dimensions, and with strength member running parallel tolength. Booms are provided with end connections for coupling end to end.An assemblage of strands, open netting or other physical forms with an openstructure that minimally impedes intrusion into itself of high viscosity oils. Oilsare held within the structure so the oil can be handled as a unit.Sorbents are excellent devices to remove the sheen from the water during the final stages ofcleanup. Sorbent booms, used in conjunction with sorbent pads and other sorbent materials arevery effective in keeping sheen from small inlets etc. Sorbent pads are also excellent for cleaningboats, skimmers and other oil-contaminated equipment.After recovery, sorbents must be stored and possibly transported for eventual disposal in a landfillor by incineration or for separation of oil and sorbent for re-use. Arrangements for storage andtransportation should be made as soon as recovery begins or before. Complete separation of oiland sorbent is technically difficult and generally not a good option. If the sorbent is to be re-usedimmediately, incomplete separation by wringing or squeezing may be acceptable.In most operations, oil is recovered primarily by skimmers or other recovery vessels, with sorbentsused as an alternative or complement to skimming. Sorbents are especially useful in confinedareas or shallow water where skimmers may not be able to operate and to recover smallquantities of oil. In calm water, sorbents can be deployed as a barrier to protect sensitive areas.It will be necessary to replenish the sorbent as it becomes oil-logged to prevent oil from breachingthe barrier. Sorbents can also be applied to contained oil within booms or other barriers; one5-10