Sorbent

A sorbent is an insoluble material that either absorbs or adsorbs liquids or gases. They are frequently used to remove pollutants and in the cleanup of chemical accidents and oil spills. Besides their uses in industry, sorbents are used in commercial products such as diapers and odor absorbents, and are researched for applications in environmental air analysis, particularly in the analysis of volatile organic compounds. The name sorbent is derived from sorption, which is itself a derivation from adsorption and absorption.

A sorbent is an insoluble material that either absorbs or adsorbs liquids or gases. They are frequently used to remove pollutants and in the cleanup of chemical accidents and oil spills. Besides their uses in industry, sorbents are used in commercial products such as diapers and odor absorbents, and are researched for applications in environmental air analysis, particularly in the analysis of volatile organic compounds. The name sorbent is derived from sorption, which is itself a derivation from adsorption and absorption.

Examples

Sorbents come in various forms and materials, including: Activated carbon, the most widely used sorbent, which has been known and manufactured since the 19th century, Molecular sieves, commonly made from zeolite, Sponges, which absorb liquid in a network of open cells, Polypropylene fiber mats, which can be employed to absorb oil, Cellulose fiber products used for oil or chemical sorption, Superabsorbent polymer, the granular gel material most commonly found in diapers, capable of absorbing multiple times its original weight in urine, Incontinence pads, which may also incorporate nonwoven fabric as a sorbent, and Desiccants, which attract water, thereby drying (desiccating) surrounding materials.

References

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1376022091 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.