The OttiMat™ is an innovative product that uses recycled human hair to repair and prevent the environmental damage caused by oil spills. Comprised of 99% recycled human hair and 1% Polypropylene Skrim, OttiMat adsorbs (holds on to) oil.

The Environmental Angle: In the US alone, 60 million pounds of human hair are disposed of in landfills each year. The OttiMat avoids the use of toxic oil cleaners in our water sources by using hair, non-decomposing materials. Human hair is easily available, low cost and hence in real sense, cost effective. "When I conducted my research, I realized that I had found a commercial use for what was, at present, a waste product. Millions of pounds of human hair is cut every day and tossed into landfills or dumped into oceans. Hair does not degrade well. In fact, some samples have been found that are thousands of years old. Using it for bioremediation of oil spills would put it to work while simultaneously reducing the amount of waste in our landfills - a real win-win situation. Also, the oil saturated bundles can be burned as fuel and energy value of the petroleum they contain can be recovered", said McCory, Inventor.

The Idea: The product was invented by Phil McCory, a hair stylist in Huntsville, Alabama. While watching television coverage of the 1989 Valdez oil spill, McCory noticed the difficulty volunteers were having cleaning the fur of otters. "I thought if animal fur can trap and hold spilled oil, why can't human hair", said McCory. In a home experiment, McCory stuffed 5 pounds of hair he'd cut into a pair of his wife's pantyhose. He tied the ankles of the nylons together to form a ring shaped collection bundle. Then, filling his son's baby pool with water, he poured a gallon of used motor oil in the pool and then dunked the pantyhose. Two minutes later he pulled out the nylons and noticed the water was crystal clear. "Not a trace of oil was left in the water", said McCory.

The 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.

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OttiMat Efficacy: The efficacy of human hair as an oil Sorbent has been tested and validated by NASA. As proven by NASA, human hair adsorbs up to 5 times its weight in oil while not retaining water. The OttiMat is ready to go to market and has been successfully tested against the primary industry competition. The OttiMat uses recycled human hair that naturally removes oil from water. Human hair does not “absorb” (or soak in) oil as does polypropylene, but rather it “adsorbs” (or holds on) to it. Competitive products such as polypropylene (poly) mats “absorb” oil, and the oil bonds to the material. This bonding precludes much oil from being extracted from the poly pads. However, with the OttiMat, the oil is “adsorbed”, meaning that the oil adheres to the cuticles of the hair. It is this unique property, coupled with the viscosity of petroleum-based products, which allows the OttiMat™ to be squeezed or centrifuged for recovery of the oil. The mat can be wrung out for emergency re-use many times or burned as industrial fuel. 98% of the oil extracted by the OttiMat can be recovered. Human hair leaves less incinerated residue than polypropylene. The OttiMat has a tensile strength of approximately 38 lbs. and can be used in large-scale petroleum recovery.

The following chart compares the amount of oil picked up by the OttiMat as compared to competitors.

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.

Competitors: Our primary competition comes from distributors. In the area of pads, we compete in price in the DoD and commercial market. Tied to the price competitiveness of the OttiMat, our performance exceeds that of the poly pads. The unique performance qualities of the OttiMat give it significant competitive advantages over the standard oil recovery pad. OttiMat recovers the oil that is spilled.

CONTACT US

Customer Service
1-866-489-9755
info@smartgrow.us

Address:
World Response Group,
Inc 1452 North Krome Ave Suite 101-D
Florida City, FL 33034

Phone Toll Free: 1-866-489-9755