Research has been conducted to develop a blended material that would optimally immobilize a wide range of liquid chemicals detrimental to the environment. The product of this research was Multipurpose Gelling Agent (MGA), a blend of four polymers and an inorganic powder. When applied to a chemical spill, MGA turns the hazardous liquid into a gelatinous mass which can be easily removed by shovel or other mechanical means. The MGA research program has also included design, fabrication, testing, and demonstration of a mobile, self-powered, mechanical system for dispensing powdered MGA to spill target areas in a safe and effective manner. A prototype of the Mobile Dispensing System (MDS) was constructed and tested. The MDS unit incorporates an auger-fed pneumatic conveyor system and a trailer that can be towed to remote spill sites. After initial testing to determine the MGA range and dispersal pattern, the MDS unit was tested against both small- and large-scale simulated spills. On 4 November 1976, the MDS unit was demonstrated for a group of USEPA officials at a Calspan test facility in Bethany, New York. It was subsequently delivered to the USEPA Industrial Environmental Research Laboratory, Edison, New Jersey.

Contract no. 68-03-2093. Issued July 1978. Includes bibliographical references (page 20). Microfiche.