Oil Boom Netting: A Buyer's Guide for Absorbent Boom Makers
An absorbent boom has two parts: the absorbent fill that takes up the oil, and the netting skin that holds everything together. Buyers often spend their time on the fill and treat the netting as an afterthought. On the water it is the other way round: if the netting fails, the boom fails, however good the fill is.
This guide is for boom makers, spill-kit assemblers and distributors sourcing oil boom netting to fill their own booms.
What boom netting has to do
Netting has two jobs that pull in opposite directions. It must be strong enough to carry the tow, lift and handling load along the whole boom, and to survive contact with rock, quay walls, hulls and decks. At the same time it must stay out of the oil's way, with an open mesh that lets oil reach the absorbent core at full rate. A good netting does both.
Why knitted polyester
- Strength when wet – polyester filament keeps its strength when saturated and does not rot in long immersion.
- Same shape, wet or dry – no swelling and no strength lost in the water.
- A knit that adjusts – the knit opens over the fill and pulls back onto it, so one netting covers a range of fill densities without gathering or splitting.
- Abrasion resistance – for contact with rock, quays and hulls.
How to specify netting
- Diameter – our standard netting fits booms of 3, 5 and 8 inch diameter; other diameters are made to your requirement.
- Colour – white as standard; other colours to order.
- Supply form – a continuous tube, cut to your length.
- Packing – boxed, with cartons palletised, wrapped and strapped.
- Labelling – your codes, batch numbers and barcodes on the cartons.
Where finished booms are used
- Rivers and streams
- Harbours and marinas
- Ponds and lakes
- Settlement tanks and sumps
- Refuelling and transfer points
- Spill-response kits
If you prefer to buy finished booms rather than netting, we also make netted, sonic-welded oil-only absorbent booms with end fittings. The absorbent fill itself is meltblown polypropylene.
How to test samples
- Fill it. Make up a test boom with your own fill and check that the netting closes evenly over it without gathering or splitting.
- Pull it. Load the boom as it would be towed and lifted, and check the netting and its joins.
- Soak it. Leave a test boom in water and check strength and shape afterwards.
- Check the flow. Make sure oil reaches the fill freely through the mesh.
Mistakes to avoid
- Choosing netting on price per metre. A weak skin costs far more when a boom splits on the water.
- Wrong diameter. Netting that is too tight crushes the fill; too loose and it shifts. Match netting to boom diameter and fill density.
- Poor packing. Tangled or crushed tube slows your filling line; agree continuous tube packing and carton labels.
What to ask a supplier
- What yarn is the netting made from?
- Which diameters do you supply, and can you make mine?
- Is it supplied as a continuous tube, and how is it packed?
- Can you label cartons with my codes and barcodes?
- Can I combine netting with absorbents in one container?
How we supply boom netting
Samridhi Crreation has supplied nonwovens and spill-control products from India since 2004. We supply boom makers and distributors worldwide, including under their own brand. The minimum order is one 40'HQ container, and 5–6 different products can be combined in it, so netting can travel together with absorbent rolls and pads. Cartons are palletised, wrapped, strapped and block-stowed for full-container export. We ship FOB India from Mundra or Nhava Sheva, with CIF and DAP on request, and provide REACH and SVHC declarations for customers in the European Union. Samples are free, and we pay the courier.
See diameters and packing on our oil boom netting page, or send us your requirement for a quotation and samples.
