Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) rapidly immobilize free liquid by converting it into a stable gel, helping sites cut handling/disposal costs, reduce risk, and meet landfill “no free liquids” requirements. Below you’ll find quick answers to the most common questions we get about SAPs—plus where to use them and how to validate performance in the field.

Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) cut coal-ash (CCR) disposal costs by 20%+ because they work at ultra-low dosage rates (often ~0.3–0.5%), solidify in 15–30 minutes, and don’t add bulk—so you save on labor, trucking, and tipping fees. Unlike lime/cement, SAPs are inert and non-corrosive, avoid high-pH waste profile changes, and keep projects compliant with EPA Method 9095B Paint Filter requirements—even in saturated ash.

Managing HDD waste slurry doesn’t have to mean truckloads of sawdust, curing delays, and high disposal costs. Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) from Zappa-Stewart deliver landfill-ready solids in under 30 minutes—cutting pit volumes by 90% and reducing disposal costs by more than 20%. Backed by real-world case studies, SAPs prove to be the faster, cleaner, and more cost-effective alternative to traditional absorbents.

Reducing environmental impact is a growing priority in directional drilling, tunneling, and heavy construction. One innovative solution leading the way is superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) — sustainable, high-performance materials that solidify directional drilling mud and tunnel muck while dramatically lowering greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional materials like Portland cement and quicklime.

Tunneling has emerged as the least disruptive and most efficient methodology for rail and vehicle transportation, clean water and wastewater security and conservation as well as security for the movement of chemicals and hydrocarbon through sensitive environments.

Dredging of saturated sediments from waterways, wastewater lagoons, and stormwater ponds generates massive quantities of waste material that require costly and time-consuming management practices, such as dewatering, solidification, transportation, and off-site disposal.  

If solidification, transportation, and disposal of saturated sediments are a part of your scope of work, superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) can help to reduce your budget, time-on-site, and environmental risks. 

One of the key principles of employing superabsorbent polymer (SAP) technology for the solidification of dredged sediments, wastewater treatment sludge, or other liquid-bearing waste materials, is the drastic time savings that can be realized with SAPs when compared to traditional, commodity drying products like sawdust or Portland cement.   

In the fast-paced environment of hospitals, every second counts. From emergency rooms to surgical suites, healthcare professionals are constantly seeking innovations that streamline their processes and enhance patient care. One such innovation making waves in the medical industry is the use of Super Absorbent Polymers (SAP) packed in convenient, dissolvable packets.

Clean fuel performs better than dirty fuel. Dirt, dust, and grime can get into your fuel and seriously damage your vehicle’s engine. It's fairly obvious those materials pose a risk, but did you know that water is also considered to be a very dangerous contaminant of fuel?

When water enters a vehicle’s fuel supply, the vehicle will noticeably sputter or stall. This is due to diluted fuel reaching the fuel injectors or carburetors, pumping the vehicle’s engine with a weakened power source.

This is considered to be a "best-case scenario" of water contamination. Did you know that water can do irreparable damage to your vehicle? Even a small amount of water in your fuel tank can ruin the electric fuel pump, clog up the fuel lines, rust the interior of the tank, and cause fuel injector tips to explode.

Liquid waste presents several challenges for many industrial processes.   Liquids are difficult to transport, liquids contaminate work areas and environmental receptors, and most landfills do not accept liquids. On-site solidification with superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) offers the most rapid, safest, and, in most cases, most cost-efficient method for transforming difficult-to-manage liquid wastes into easily managed solid waste.