We have a strong commitment to quality, unconditional product testing and tracking including: sorbency consistency of weight, fibre density, fibre fineness and production coding. Our aim is to ensure that all our products are produced to meet the highest standards and we work to the highest internationally recognised standards.  Our products have been tested by the following organisations:

French AFNOR standard

British Standards Institute

to BS 7959 parts 1, 2 & 3. 

Non-toxicity  

The polypropylene used in the manufacture of our sorbents is non-toxic and when disposed of by incineration they produce no toxic gas and the residues are less than 0,05%.

Savings on Disposal Costs  

Thanks to their high sorbent capacity, our sorbents produce very low quantities of waste with typical savings around 40% less when compared against traditional sorbents.

When saturated with oil our sorbent have a high calorific value and can be used as fuel for industrial solid fuel furnaces such as those found in cement production plants.

Sorbent Capacity

This is the ration between the weight of the sorbent and the weight of the liquid. Tested in France by CEDRE in accordance with norms NFT90-360 (Hydrophobic sorbents) and NFT90-361 (Hydrophilic sorbents) and also tested in Germany by MPA.

Method of Measurement

We weigh a 10 cm x 10 cm sample then immersion it in a bath of 20W50 oil at 25°C or a water bath at 20°C until the sample is fully saturated. Once this is done the sample is hung so it can drain vertically for 2 minutes then the sample is re-weighed which determines the weight of the absorbed liquid per kg of sorbent.

Retention Capability

This is the percentage of hydrocarbons that are chemically fixed by the sorbent test carried out by the MPA in Germany on all our products, which are then given a reference number by the Department of the Environment.

Strength Testing

This bi-directional measurement of the product indicates its maximum tensile strength and its breaking point which ensures we produce strong, high tensile strength products that give integrity when fully saturated.

The tests are carried out during every production run using a dynamometer to record the maximum force applied (in N/5 cm) and the breaking point (in %) using a sample 10 cm x 5 cm.

Resistance to Abrasion

We record how the products perform in “daily use” and consider things like linting (shedding of fibres) and surface condition after use on the ground. In particular the test records the level of resistance to linting and in the case of our SMS products looks at the total anti-linting performance across the entire width and both sides of the product. The importance of this is that by preventing the loss of fibre from the surface of the product increases its lifecycle. 

Buoyancy/Hydrophobic Properties

This test records the sorbent’s capacity to float on the surface of water and our hydrophobic products are tested in France by CEDRE.

Reaction to Heat

The polypropylene microfibres we use in the production of our products does not ignite easily

At >130°C the fibres tighten

At 160°C they start to melt

At 190°C polypropylene becomes a liquid.

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