HOS covers most commonly encountered chemical liquids: acids such as hydrochloric, sulphuric, nitric and phosphoric acid; bases and alkalis such as sodium hydroxide, ammonia solution and alkaline cleaning agents; solvents including alcohols, acetone, toluene and xylene; water-based chemicals such as cleaning solutions, coolants and diluted chemical liquids; and many corrosive liquids. For strong oxidisers, hydrofluoric acid and other special media, confirm compatibility with our technical team and run a sample test before use.

Yellow is the conventional warning colour for chemical sorbents. High visibility lets site personnel identify at a glance that the material is intended for chemical liquids, prevents it from being confused with oil-only (white) or universal (grey) products, and makes emergency stock and contaminated areas easy to locate during a response.

Use HOS. When the nature of the liquid is unknown, the HOS series offers the widest compatibility — it absorbs oils, water-based liquids and most chemicals — which makes it the appropriate default for unidentified spills. Apply your hazardous material emergency procedure and personal protective equipment at the same time, and classify the waste once the medium has been identified.

Pads and rolls cover surfaces and absorb what lands on them, and are laid on floors, benches or under equipment for routine protection. Chemical absorbent booms (HOS-BOM, Ø12.7 cm or Ø20 cm, 3 m or 6 m long) are barrier products used to contain a spill within a defined area and keep it away from drains or adjacent zones. In practice the two are used together: contain with booms first, then absorb and clean up with pads.

The impermeable composite chemical pad (HOS-PMS) adds a barrier film beneath the absorbent layer, so absorbed liquid cannot penetrate downward to the floor. It suits fixed workstations, precision equipment bases, laboratory benches and warehouse floors where the substrate must be protected. Standard pads have no barrier layer and are intended for general clean-up where penetration is not a concern.