A Philadelphia-area inventor is conferring with distributors and cleanup specialists to supply them with InsulSorb materials, a product designed to minimize ecological damage to the Gulf waters and we…
A Philadelphia-area inventor is conferring with distributors and cleanup specialists to supply them with InsulSorb materials, a product designed to minimize ecological damage to the Gulf waters and wetlands that utilizes loose fiberglass wool from CertainTeed Corporation. Specializing in the development of high volume sorbent materials and booms, Jeffrey Brelsford, president of S.E. Squared, Inc., had the idea of treating fiberglass insulation rendering it hydrophobic. Specifically, patent-pending InsulSorb is designed to repel water and absorb toxic or hazardous materials such as oil, antifreeze, gasoline and other pollutants from bodies of water, garage floors and roadways. InsulSorb consists of unbounded, shredded fiberglass blowing wool particles that may be sprayed from an aircraft or boat over water, or by a vehicle on land to rapidly absorb toxic or hazardous materials. The lightweight material absorbs the pollutant in minutes rather than hours or days. It“s capable of soaking up 100-170% more than polyproylene, a material most commonly used by clean up specialists, says Brelsford. More importantly, Brelsford points out that because fiberglass consists of 100% natural sand and rock – unlike most other products composed of artificial materials – InsulSorb is environmental neutral. The product will not rot or decay, is recyclable after recovering oil by squeezing it out of the material and repels water, which means no mildew or fungus. We“ve been in the business of manufacturing insulation for almost half a century and are well versed in the environmentally friendly attributes of fiberglass, says Paul Valle, president of CertainTeed Insulation. We are committed to whatever we can to minimize the negative environmental impact from the Gulf oil spill. CertainTeed offers a comprehensive line of insulation products and equipment, including time-tested and trusted fiberglass insulation batts and rolls, fiberglass blow-in insulation, polyurethane spray foam, innovative vapor retarder technology, and highly regarded HVAC products as well as insulation blowing and foam application equipment.