We are storing gasoline in drums for our forklift use. We have built a storage housing for the drum outside our warehouse but we havent considered spill containment procedure.
2006-07-06 19:52:41 · 9 answers · asked by tetay 1 in Environment
Sand has very poor adsorption for gasoline or most any thing else. It can physically block liquid flow, like sand bags during a flood, but there is leakage.
Kitty litter, which is bentonite clay with a few admixtures for smell and handling, is cheap, easy, and readily available. I prefer it for small diesel spills.
The most effective adsorbate on a weight-to-weight basis is activated carbon, available in little boxes at the pet store for fish tanks. You can also get it in 200-pound drums and 1000-pound super sacks from Calgon or Westates Carbon. Not as cheap as kitty litter, but the molecular-sized pore spaces adsorb hydrocarbons very well.
"Adsorb" or "Adsorption" refers to a process that happens on the surface of the solid. "Absorb" refers to a liquid or gas going into the bulk of a solid. Activated carbon aDsorbs gasoline onto the surface of its pores. Wood aBsorbs water during humid weather.
The other thing to have around if you are handling petroleum products is sorbant batting which is finely spun polypropylene. Looks like a large and fuzzy paper towel but sucks up several times its weight in hydrocarbon. Readily available at supply houses for maritime users and gasoline distributors and transporters. Can be found in those 55-gallon poly drums marked "spill kit". You can test the concept by sacrificing your oldest pair of Patagonia Polypro underwear. Really. Next time you spill a little motor oil while changing you car's oil, the polypro will work vastly better than a papertowel.
-David in Alaska
2006-07-06 21:07:33 · answer #1 · answered by David in Kenai 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
If nothing else is available, sand may be used to pick up very small quantities of gasoline (a few gallons at most). Larger spills should be handled with spill kits, usually with "PIGs" or similar.
Sand is also very heavy. Vermiculite or other absorbent material may be useful.
For storing drums, containers should be kept in an "approved" basin (approved meaning it meets local fire and HAZ-MAT regulations), with no drains so that all material may be collected.
Your safety personnel should be able to advise more specifically as to the management of spills and other threats. Asking them what the standard operating procedure is for spill management in advance of an incident is strongly recommended.
2006-07-06 20:00:37 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sand will work for small spills. Better would be cat litter and best is Speedy-Dri (professional usage). They must be cleaned up immediately and not left on the ground. However, if you are considering containing large quantities of spillage, you must consider a barrier-type containment system. You should contact your local Dept of Environmental Protection for their recommendations.
2006-07-06 19:58:57 · answer #3 · answered by druid 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
NO use cat litter, it's more absorbant, but truthfully you may want to find out what the regulations are for that area, the penalties for that kind of spillage and contamination are very steep and if they catch you not following their guidlines for that area it might not be very good. Call around and find out what the proper method is for what you're doing and what the guidlines are for your area. I do know that my husband carries special stuff in his truck for fuel spills. It's highly absorbant and works well, I'll try to get the name of the stuff when he gets back in from the trip he's on.
2006-07-06 20:03:18 · answer #4 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
With gas, the only thing outside of barriers would be a foam that can be sprayed on top of it cutting of air supply/not allowing it to vaporize. Sand would do no good. it might seem like it would but it is the fumes that burn. This is the reason foam is normally used in fighting oil type fires.
2006-07-06 19:57:53 · answer #5 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well I have noticed that sand works well, but what I use is actually clumping cat littler. It really sucks up the gas and holds it, making it easy to throw away. Sawdust works well too. Hope that helps! Good Luck!
2006-07-07 05:10:59 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sand is really good to contain small spills, better to use use rice hull ash, kitty litter or saw dust.
2006-07-06 20:04:54 · answer #7 · answered by jennanna 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I see the sticky jokes have already been told ;) Oh dear it may well be ruined, is it a laptop? The copper under the keys gets affected by liquid I think. Time to call in the professionals.
2016-03-27 07:32:21 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that's what they use at gas stations. Either that or some other absorbent type of granular solid.
2006-07-06 19:56:01 · answer #9 · answered by im.in.college.so.i.know.stuff 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋