Every day our team receives many questions from current customers and interested future users of superabsorbent polymers (SAP) around the world.

We have provided answers to some of the most popular questions, below.

Topics: Super Absorbent Polymers, superabsorbent polymers, SAP Applications, Sodium polyacrylate superabsorbent polymers, SAP costs, FAQ

We’ve spoken previously about the performance and time savings benefits of the dissolvable film packaging for medical waste solidifiers. However, there are additional benefits to these packs; notably surrounding the storage and shipping aspects when compared to traditional bottle products. 

Topics: Medical Waste Solidification, superabsorbent polymers, SAP costs, Medical Devices, SAP for Medical Applications

A Step-by-Step Guide for Minimizing Reagent Quantities and Treatment Costs

Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) are the most efficient available technology for eliminating free liquid and stabilizing saturated coal ash.  However, without the proper planning steps, SAPs can be severely over-applied which often leads to unexpected treatment costs and/or underperformance.   

The following steps are critical for the successful stabilization of coal ash with superabsorbent polymers: 

 

Topics: SAP, Environmental Remediation, superabsorbent polymers, SAP Applications, Wastewater Treatment Sludge, SAP costs, Coal Ash

Superabsorbent polymer (SAP) is commonly used in the manufacturing of ice packs used in the shipping of frozen and refrigerated food packaging.

SAP conglomerates, known as fisheyes, nodules, or gel balls, are common problems in ice pack production. 

Fisheyes are denoted as globs or conglomerates of SAP gellant that do not readily hydrate when combined with water.

Topics: superabsorbent polymers, SAPs for consumer products, SAP Applications, Fisheye, Icepacks

Rainy weather is often the last thing anyone wants to see on the forecast, whether your plans involve a round of 18, a day out on the boat, or a power plant CCR basin closure.  

Water, while vital for life, can be an expensive nuisance when it comes at the wrong time and place.

For electric power utilities, closing a CCR basin during rainy season often result in the following scenarios:

• Missed deadlines
• Excessive chemical expenses, and
• Over-budget labor due to out-of-scope ash drying.

Topics: superabsorbent polymers, CCR Stabilization, Coal Ash, wet and saturated coal combustion residuals (CCR)

When people refer to superabsorbent polymer (SAP), they often are referring to sodium polyacrylate which is the absorbent commonly found in diapers and other sanitary hygiene products.

Sodium polyacrylate is produced globally by several major suppliers through the polymerization, or chain building, of acrylic acid neutralized with sodium forming a sodium salt.

Topics: superabsorbent polymers, Sodium polyacrylate superabsorbent polymers

Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) are a key technology for safe, fast, and efficient stabilization of wet and saturated coal combustion residuals (CCR), a major waste management challenge for electric power utilities in the US. Traditional pozzolanic stabilization reagents, such as quicklime, lime kiln dust (LKD), and Portland cement, often perform inadequately with CCR material that is heavily layered, unusually difficult to dewater, or when operating in excessively wet weather conditions. However, the introduction of small dosage rates of SAPs (0.3%-1.0%), either as a standalone technology or as a component of a pozzolan blend, provides CCR management contractors a modern tool for reliable and predictable CCR drying.

Topics: superabsorbent polymers, CCR Stabilization, Coal Ash, wet and saturated coal combustion residuals (CCR)

Safe and accurate, hydro-excavation has become the most preferred method for digging, daylighting, and potholing in many industrial sectors in recent decades. While the benefits of hydro-excavation are undeniable, the process generates large volumes of mud and slurry waste that must be managed, in order to avoid environmental risks. Superabsorbent polymers (SAP) offer an easy, safe, and efficient tool for eliminating free liquid in hydro-excavation waste fluid so that the waste can pass the EPA paint filter test, be transported and disposed in a Subtitle D landfill as solid waste.

Topics: Environmental Remediation, Hydroexcavation Trucks, Liquid Waste Management, superabsorbent polymers

Managing Costs of Liquid Waste Disposal

Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) provide many financial and environmental benefits in the rapid solidification of liquid-bearing wastes and contaminated sediments. Environmental remediation professionals utilize SAPs for minimizing waste volume, excessive transportation and disposal expenses, and reagent handling and mixing costs. Furthermore, SAPs are not only safe for the environment, but prevent leaching of toxic waste into groundwater, surface water, and other sensitive natural resources.

Topics: SAP, superabsorbent polymers, Wastewater Treatment Sludge, SAP costs

Zappa Stewart supplies a wide range of SuperAbsorbent Polymers (SAPs). Most SAPs are surface cross linked (referred to as SXM) and are widely used in diapers and hygiene products. However, there are also non-surface cross linked SAP’s (often referred to as pre-surface crosslinked or PSXM for short) that have unique properties and are well suited for specific applications.

Topics: superabsorbent polymers, SAPs for consumer products, SXM, pre-surface crosslinked, Surface Cross Linking, PSXM, Sodium polyacrylate superabsorbent polymers, PSXM SAP technology