️ “Wait… where did the liquid go?”

That was my reaction about three seconds into a demonstration at a HazMat conference in Edmond, Oklahoma.

This was my conversation with John Brinkman, President of Imbibitive Technologies.

On the table in front of us was a container with some small white particles in it.

They looked like salt or sugar grains.

Nothing special.

John picked up a bottle of paint thinner and poured it into the container.

I expected the liquid to pool at the bottom.

Instead…the liquid disappeared. Not evaporated. Not wiped up. The free liquid phase was gone in seconds.

John smiled and said:

“Once the liquid embibes into the polymer, the liquid phase is eliminated.”

Here's what actually happened

Those tiny particles were IMBIBER BEADS®.

They're oil-sensitive superabsorbent polymers.

Most people know superabsorbent polymers from disposable diapers, which absorb water.

These beads do the opposite.

They are engineered to absorb organic liquids like:

• crude oil

• gasoline

• diesel

• solvents

…and they ignore water completely.

The chemistry is wild

Each bead is a solid polymer sphere roughly 150–400 microns in size (about a grain of salt).

When hydrocarbons contact the bead:

• the liquid diffuses into the polymer matrix

• the bead swells several times its original size

• the hydrocarbon becomes locked inside the polymer

The result: No free liquid phase.

Why that matters.. Most spill cleanup materials today are adsorbents — think polypropylene pads.

They coat liquids on the surface.

Meaning the hydrocarbon can still:

• drip

• spread

• release vapors

IMBIBER BEADS® eliminate the liquid phase, which can:

• reduce secondary contamination

• lower hazardous vapor off-gassing

• simplify containment and recovery

The craziest part?

This chemistry was invented in 1968 by polymer chemist Dr. Richard Hall.

More than 50 years ago.

Today the technology is being applied to:

• oil spill response

• refinery containment

• stormwater filtration

• hazmat cleanup

• oil-water separators

Even more interesting…

Hydrocarbons captured in the beads can be used in energy-from-waste systems producing 15,000+ BTUs per pound.

Cleanup material → recoverable energy.

This is why I love stepping outside the oil & gas silo.

When chemists, engineers, hazmat responders, and energy operators collaborate…you discover technologies that change how problems get solved.

Sometimes the most disruptive technology in the room…is a polymer bead smaller than a grain of salt.

If you work in:

• oil & gas

• refining

• pipeline response

• hazmat

• environmental remediation

What applications could you see for something like this?

Curious to hear your thoughts.

www.imbiberbeads.com⁠�

#Energy #OilAndGas #HazMat #EnvironmentalTech #SpillResponse #Engineering #PolymerScience #IndustrialSafety

Kent J. Williamson - American Heat Engine: Hydrocarbons and the Power of the United States - Coal. Oil. Natural gas. This is the incredible story of how hydrocarbons have energized the United States and its people.

Hydrocarbons, naturally occurring combinations of mostly hydrogen and carbon atoms with almost limitless uses, are much more than simply “fossil fuels”; they are the lifeblood of modern human civilization.

They are central to economic and geopolitical power, even determining the fate of nations and empires. They have played a critical role in U.S. history, and they will be no less important to its future.

In American Heat Engine: Hydrocarbons and the Power of the United States, join Kent J. Williamson on an epic journey through American hydrocarbon history, weaving together the amazing pasts of coal, oil, and natural gas in America, from the country's earliest days all the way to today and beyond.

You will see how a now-almost-forgotten form of coal sparked the American Industrial Revolution, witness the birth of the American oil industry and its production of everything from lamp fuel to jet fuel, and follow natural gas as it transforms from an unwanted byproduct to a fuel and feedstock so ubiquitous that there are now millions of miles of pipelines carrying it across America!

You'll also discover how the United States strategically employed its hydrocarbon resources to defeat totalitarianism and help usher in a period of unprecedented global prosperity.

Kent J. Williamson grew up in Littleton, Colorado, not far from Coal Mine Road. He now lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Oil Capital of the World, in a home with several natural gas-fueled appliances and a propane grill out back.

Rey Treviño III The Crude Truth and Pecos Country Operating
#PBIOSLIVE 2025 PBIOILSHOW.ORG OCT 21-23 ODESSA TEXAS ECTOR COUNTY with hosts Janie Snelson, Matthew Hill, Scott Emerson, and Keith Stelter

#pbios #pbioslive #podcast #vlog #entertainment #leadership #industry #business #networking #humor #education #oilgas #oilandgas #oilfield #energy #upstream #midstream #downstream #pipeline #refineries #power #data #technology #electricity #policy #stem #science #environment #safety #security #permian #permianbasin #oilshow #midland #odessa #texas

Sponsored by T.D. Williamson

Internet available for all thanks to EnerStar Solutions

Podcast Studio Equipment from RATTLER MEDIA & PRODUCTION

Podcast Studio Styling from Second Story Coworking

PBIOS LIVE 2025 PBIOILSHOW.ORG - Permian Basin International Oil Show (PBIOS) Voices of the Industry is more than a podcast — it's the story of the people who power the Permian. Featuring exclusive interviews and candid conversations from the show floor and beyond, we spotlight the voices shaping the future of oil and gas.