Editor’s note: Welcome to the second post in our series on Absorbent Training. We hope you find the series to be helpful in explaining the basics of absorbents. Links to the previous and next post in the series, if applicable, are at the bottom of the posts.
Blue? Gray? Pink? White? Brown? Yellow? Does color really matter? Sometimes.
Just as a red light means “stop” and green means “go,” an absorbent’s color has an important meaning. The color tells you what types of liquid the product is optimized to absorb. But unlike traffic signals, there’s no standard color-coding index that covers all brands of absorbents in the market. So even though many brands do follow the color-coding guidelines that New Pig established, there are still some out there that haven’t caught up yet and could confuse you.
We’ve put some thought into choosing colors for our absorbents. They reflect how absorbents are most commonly used. From countless visits to customers’ facilities, we’ve learned that darker colors blend into their surroundings better, allowing the product to stay on the job longer and reach its full saturation.
We also know that bright colors help draw attention to a problem and can be used to convey a warning – and, well, who doesn’t think that a bright pink sock adds a little bit of fun and lightness to the otherwise unenviable task of cleaning up a corrosive chemical spill?
Using color-coding also helps to train employees – and helps you save money. When employees know how to select the right absorbents, money isn’t wasted cleaning up an oil spill with more costly absorbents specifically designed to work with corrosive liquids.
Gray, Blue and Yellow: Universal Absorbents
If your mats, socks and pillows are gray or blue, remember the acronym COWS. This stands for Coolants, Oils, Waters and Solvents – the types of liquids that these absorbents are designed to absorb. Another acronym, MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Operations) can also be used to define the types of applications that gray and blue absorbents can handle. Their muted colors blend into most industrial settings, so they don’t draw attention to the leaks, drips and overspray that they are absorbing – which means they stay down longer, saving you time and money.
Yellow absorbents also absorb the COWS set of liquids, but they help alert pedestrians and workers to the need for additional caution in an area. Because the color is bright, it helps draw attention to a slippery floor near the building’s entrance, a soda spill in the cafeteria, a broken hose or pipeline, a machine that has been taken out of service for maintenance, or anything else that is out of the ordinary. When using yellow absorbents, be sure to remove them when the hazard has passed so that people don’t become accustomed to seeing the bright color and tune it out.
White, Brown and Multicolored: Oil Absorbents
White absorbents absorb oil-based liquids and repel water (the term is “hydrophobic”), a quality that makes them float. They are a perfect choice for oily spills on water. The bright white color lets you know when the product has become fully saturated so that it can be replaced.
Originally, we designed our oil-only absorbents for spill response, but we found that many customers were using them inside facilities for routine maintenance. The problem was that the bright white color drew a lot of attention to the small leaks and spills that the mats and socks were absorbing, and they were changed out long before they were fully saturated. We added the brown color option to our hydrophobic mats and socks to help camouflage leaks and drips without affecting the product’s ability to soak in oils while repelling water. Brown absorbents are also a great choice for booms that are used in retention ponds as a Best Management Practice (BMP) for Stormwater compliance.
Later came a different type of outdoor mat: oily water filter mat. While the white dimpled products are for on-water spill response, these mats are multi-colored coarse material made to lie on land and filter rainwater. You can use them to surround storm drains, catch oily outflow or remove sheen from puddles.
Pink: Hazardous Materials Absorbents
Spill responders have a lot on their minds – worrying about human safety, quickly containing spills and preventing them from reaching the environment. The last thing they need is to have to consider whether the absorbent they’re dragging into the hot zone is going to chemically react with whatever they’re trying to clean up. When we introduced our line of chemical absorbents, designed for corrosives, oxidizers and unknown-liquid type spills, we knew we needed a color that stood out and that responders could instantly identify. When you don’t know what a spill is, if you have any doubt, or if you don’t want to guess, you can always “Think Pink” and know that you’ve got a sock, mat or pillow made of 100% polypropylene – the most chemical-resistant absorbent available.
Some facilities also choose to use pink absorbents in all of their spill kits – even if their process fluids are mostly common coolants and oils – to discourage busy workers from making “unauthorized withdrawals” of absorbents from the spill kit instead of procuring them from designated maintenance supplies.
Download our selection poster, Match the Mat to Your Task, so you’ll never have to worry about using the wrong absorbent for your mess again!
12 Comments
Guillaume Guysays:
08/03/2013 at 6:19 amHello,
I am looking for absorbent mats to put into fule/gas spill kits.
can you suggest the proper mats?
Thanks,
Jensays:
08/05/2013 at 9:00 amHi,
The right mat depends on what exactly you’re doing. If you are looking for it to absorb JUST the fuel/gas but NOT any water (rain water, etc) then the white oil only would be the best. If you want it to absorb ALL the fuel/gas AND any water around it (rain water for example) you would want to use gray universal.
I hope this helps. I’ve included links above to the customer favorites for each, as a starting point in your search. If you need any other help in your search, please let me know!
Thanks,
Jen
William Stewartsays:
07/22/2014 at 1:00 pmI enjoyed your blog and learned a lot.
What does “green” indicate?
Bill Stewart
Karensays:
07/25/2014 at 8:20 amHi, Bill!
Thank you for taking the time to read our blog. We’re glad that it helped you learn something new!!
Although green is not a standard color in our absorbents offering, some of our competitors do manufacture green-colored absorbent mats and socks. All of the ones that we have come across are universal absorbents – meaning that they are capable of absorbing both water- and oil-based liquids. Some are also compatible with corrosive liquids – but it is best to verify chemical compatibility with your supplier before using them to clean up a spill of corrosive materials.
Jacksays:
08/08/2014 at 10:16 amAre there any absorbent mats available that are also fluroescent colored (yellow, orange, or pink)? Our company is proposing implementing the use of fluorescent mats to lay our tools/equipment on, in an attmept to better track our tool placement and manage housekeeping while in the field. My feeling is if the absorbent mats are fluorescent in color, we could kill two birds with one stone.
Karensays:
08/08/2014 at 12:20 pmWhat a great idea for a new Best Practice!
Our yellow High Visibility Absorbent Mats are available in both rolls and pads, and should be a perfect fit for this application. The bright yellow color is great for drawing attention to areas where maintenance and other non-routine work is happening.
Andrewsays:
01/07/2015 at 9:41 amCould I use yellow pads/booms for a hydrazine spill? Pink?
Hydrazine is reactive with most things and lots of absorbents so I just wanted to make sure I have the right spill response materials staged in the area.
Thanks!
Lisasays:
01/07/2015 at 11:41 amHi Andrew,
Our pink Hazmat absorbents are the only absorbents that should be used with hydrazine. Plus, they must be kept in a bag, clean and dry. Take them out only when needed to clean a spill; otherwise keep the absorbents sealed in a bag. Dust or dirt on the absorbent could cause a reaction. Stay away from storing the absorbents in a box, as their fibers might also become an issue.
Something to note: Even with a “clean” mat, there will still be a small exothermic reaction as the oxidizer reacts to the surfactant. Not enough to cause blackening/charring, but if you’re holding an infrared temperature meter you will see the temp go up. You might also see a wisp of vapor too. One should also expect a color loss in the material as well.
I hope that answers your question. If you have any more concerns, or want to chat about this, please feel free to call us at 1-800-HOT-HOGS.
Thanks,
Lisa
sachinsays:
04/02/2015 at 4:36 pmHi,
So i can use the grey one for paint thinner.
But which one can i use for oil based paint???
Brittanysays:
04/03/2015 at 7:28 pmThank you for your question! Yes, gray mats are a great choice for paint thinner. Paints are tricky because of their viscosity. For thicker liquids like paints and syrups, our Thick Liquids Absorbent Mat is a good choice. PIG Dri Loose Absorbent or PIG Loose Cob Absorbent are also perfect choices for making quick work of cleaning up spills of thicker liquids.
Secondary Containmentsays:
06/23/2016 at 10:50 am@ This is a great information it can help me, thanks for sharing.
Brittanysays:
06/27/2016 at 8:34 amThanks for the feedback!
-Brittany
Leave a Reply