OttiMat™ Videos
Our newest video: A demo of the OttiMat & OttiPress
NASA Testing: NASA conducted an experiment using a prototype bulk hair filter to treat a partially filled 55-gallon drum of oil-water mixture from an actual fuel oil spill. Human hair was provided directly from McCrory's hair salon. The hair was placed inside a 55-gallon drum on a mesh filter. The contaminated oil-water mixture was rapidly poured through the human hair filter and drained into a clean 55-gallon drum. Approximately 300 pounds of oil-water mixture was poured through the prototype system. It took 13 minutes. When the water was tested after a single pass, only 17 parts of oil per million parts of water remained. The EPA standard for discharge is 15 parts of oil per million.
The Reusability Factor: One of the main benefits realized in the NASA experiment was that oil could also be recovered from the hair. Human hair does not "absorb" (or soak in) oil as does cloth, but rather it "adsorbs" (or holds on to) it. A product such as a polypropylene mat "absorbs" oil, and the oil bonds to the material, so much so that the oil cannot be extracted. But with the OttiMat the oil is "adsorbed", meaning that the oil is adhering to the surfaces of the hair. The mat can be wrung out for re-use 100 or more times. In fact, during an oil spill cleanup, up to 98% of the oil can be recovered. Each cubic foot collects 7.8 Gallon per 2 and half minute per use.
Competitive Comparisons: The primary competition to the OttiMat is a pad called a “poly” pad, which is a petroleum-based product and made of polypropylene. Numerous poly pad distributors service the market. These pads are sized in various configurations such as 12”x20”x.3” and generally pick up a quart of oil.
The Poly Pad can't be re-used and has to be disposed as a toxic material. The OttiMat picks up more oil quicker and comes in a smaller size, 10.5”x 10.5”x.5. This saves in storage space and shipping costs, OttiMat can be re-used and is non toxic. The Petro-KwikSorb has to be clean after each use with a heavy duty degreaser and aerate to dry. If the cleaning process is not performed the pores of the pad become clogged and doesn't work any more.