CK Witco

OrganoSilicones Group 3500 S. State Route 2

Process R&D Friendly, WV 26146

Phone: (304) 652-8381
Fax: (304) 652-1175

March 7, 2000

To: William S. Litwin, President, Guardian Environmental Technologies, Inc.

CC: R. A Kayser,
J. S. Ritscher,
S. Gonzalez

From: T. L. Simandan

SUBJECT: PetroGuard® Use with Chlorosilanes

PetroGuard was tested in the Process R&D Laboratory in Sistersville, WV, starting in
1997. We have concluded that it absorbs and encapsulates chlorosilanes very efficiently. It was
also successfully tested for oil-sheen removal. Blankets, booms and other devices filled with
PetroGuard are currently used in the Environmental Protection Department for oil-sheen removal
and control, and plant-wide in restricting the access of organic materials to the process sewer.
PetroGuard is also the only material recommended for use in the Silanes Department’s
maintenance operations for disposal of liquid drains from lines.

In a typical application, PetroGuard is used in equal weight with the chlorosilane. About
two thirds of the absorbent is placed in a proper vessel and the chlorosilane is added in one
portion. Additional absorbent is then added to the container. The absorption may take from
minutes to up to one hour, depending on conditions, nature of the chlorosilane, temperature,
humidity, etc. An initial fuming to some extent is always observed, because of the inherent
contact of the cholosilane with air and ambient humidity conditions. Once the solidification
process is completed, if it has occurred in a closed vessel, fumes of HCl, which may still be
present, dissipate quickly, upon opening of the container. The amount of fumes generated, which
might still be present in the container, depends very much on the environmental conditions at the
time of absorption. On a cold and humid day, more fumes can be seen than on a warm and dry
day. The solid formed during this process appears to be almost chemically inert. It does not
visibly react with water. Once allowed to solidify completely, the chlorosilane appears to be
irreversibly encapsulated. We have observed no subsequent release of chlorosilane or HCL.

This company has also successfully used PetroGuard in after-spill clean-up operations, which has
allowed us simplified methods of treatment as well disposal of the spilled product Our preferred
disposal method of the encapsulated material is by incineration.

The compounds that were tested and which have been demonstrated to be efficiently absorbed
and effectively immobilized by PetroGuard are:
Silicon Tetrachloride
Trichlorosilane
Methyltrichlorosilane
Dimethyldichlorosilane
Trimethylchlorosilane
Methylhydrogendichlorosilane
Vinyltrichlorosilane
Tetrahydrofuran
The rate of absorption and immobilization varied from instantaneous to more slowly (several
hours).
Certain chemicals were absorbed and immobilized, but did not completely suppress vapors:
Trimethyloxysilane
Tetramethyloxysilane
In addition, the following more common compounds were completely absorbed to form a solid
solution:
Octene-1
Tolouene
Hexanes
Xylenes
These experiments were done in controlled laboratory conditions, with no excess humidity
present. The amount of fuming was minimal in these conditions. The main goal was to study the
dependence between the chlorosilane structure and its absorption abilities in PetroGuard. The
findings are considered to apply to original PetroGuard and chlorosilanes only. It should be
pointed out also that PetroGuard’s absorption properties with chlorosilanes are unique
and useful, and were discovered within CK Witco’s OrganoSilicones Group Process R&D.
No warranty is made for the use of these materials by other parties; this information is
shared only with the intent of fostering communication of advances in safety and
environmental protection.

We hope that the experiments outlined in this memo will help those responsible for
environmental safety to better understand the absorption properties of PetroGuard and will
advance its use with chlorosilanes and other hazardous chemicals where appropriate.