BioSolve Pinkwater - Hydrocarbon Mitigation Agent
BioSolve Pinkwater is a well-known hydrocarbon mitigation agent: proven effective, safe and easy to use. BioSolve Pinkwater has been a trusted solution for hydrocarbon cleanup for over thirty years.
Products Details
It is used worldwide by:
- industrial contractors
- oil production, refining and distribution companies
- environmental engineers and contractors
- water & power utilities
- fire departments & haz mat teams
Pinkwater and associated products are a highly specialized formulation of primarily non-ionic surfactants plus various performance additives. Pinkwater is formulated to provide four benefits:
1. Aggressively Removes Stubborn Hydrocarbons
The formulation of non-ionic surfactants in BioSolve products is strongly lipophilic or “oil-loving”. Pinkwater will first aggressively pull the hydrocarbons away from the contaminated surface (whether it be soil, stone, steel, cement or sand). The mobilized hydrocarbon is then emulsified within the Pinkwater solution, making it non-volatile, non-combustible, and miscible in water.
This dual functionality is of universal benefit in addressing hydrocarbon contamination:
- Hazardous vapors become non-volatile
- Residual NAPL is mobilized and solubilized
- Contaminating grease and sludge is removed
2. Safe and Easy to Use
Pinkwater is not a solvent, not a cutter stock, not even a foam. Pinkwater (concentrate) and Pinkwater solution are water-based. Working solutions are typically 94% to 98% water. This makes the product easy to mix, easy to handle, easy to apply.
3. Predictable Performance
Stable Formula. A major breakthrough of the Pinkwater formulation is that it holds otherwise incompatible ingredients together in a highly stable, water-based solution. An unopened container of Pinkwater has virtually an unlimited shelf life – at least 10 years based on customer testimonials.
Broadly Effective. Pinkwater works with fresh water or brackish water and works on a wide range of surfaces, including most soil types. It can be used on most liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons that are not water soluble. Effective performance does not depend on precise measuring and application.
Controllable Emulsion. The emulsion formed with Pinkwater and oil contaminants will remain stable in a two-phase aqueous solution. In time, most emulsions will “collapse.” For Pinkwater, that time frame can be measured in weeks or months, depending on field conditions. On the other hand, a stable emulsion can be 'broken' on demand by lowering the pH (for Pinkwater) or by using a commercial emulsion breaker (for Pinkwater or Activator). Breaking the Emulsion allows for the immediate recovery of free product in an oil-water separator. Please call The BioSolve Company for more information on breaking Pinkwater or Activator emulsions.
4. Non-Hazardous
BioSolve Pinkwater contains no hazardous ingredients, as defined by:
- EPA’s Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA)
- Massachusetts Right to Know Law
- California Proposition 65
BioSolve products are TSCA Compliant (Toxic Substances Control Act)
Packaging
BioSolve products are always shipped as a concentrate.
Our package sizes are: gallon cases (4 x 1 gallon jugs per case), 5 gallon pails, 55 gallon drums, and 250 gallon totes.
Product may be shipped as individual unit(s) or in pallet quantities.
- BioSolve PINKWATER, sold only as a concentrate, formulated with our signature magenta dye to enable traceability.
- BioSolve CLEAR, same concentration and performance as Pinkwater, without traceable magenta dye.
- BioSolve FOGwash Concentrate, formulated with no fragrance, for professional use in commercial & industrial kitchens.
Preparing Pinkwater Solution
BioSolve Pinkwater is sold only as a viscous (490 centipoise) concentrate. In most applications (except within sewer systems, bilges, oil wells), Pinkwater is diluted with water to create a working “Pinkwater solution”. The strength of typical working solutions range from 2% to 6% by volume.
To prepare a working Pinkwater solution, add appro...
To prepare a working Pinkwater solution, add approximately one third of required water to the mixing tank BEFORE pouring in Pinkwater concentrate. After adding the desired volume of Pinkwater into the tank, mix in the remaining water volume. Stir the combined contents to achieve a uniform solution.
Using BioSolve Pinkwater
BioSolve Pinkwater is used in three general markets: Soil Remediation, Industrial Maintenanceand Emergency Response (see the “Applications” section of this website). In all applications, users combine four elements to achieve emulsification of the hydrocarbon contaminate:
The method of agitation may take many forms: water...
The method of agitation may take many forms: water jet, vacuum extraction, scrubbing, mixing, soil tilling, pumping, and others. Contractors use methods for agitation to fit the application and site conditions. In all applications, the addition of agitation (mechanical energy) is an essential requirement for hydrocarbon mitigation.
How BioSolve Pinkwater Works
BioSolve Pinkwater is a proprietary blend of mostly non-ionic surfactants and performance additives. Pinkwater is only sold as a concentrate.
- Hydrocarbon are immiscible (won’t mix) in water. When combined, they quickly separate.
- Before agitation, Pinkwater solution and diesel will remain in separate phases
- After agitation, a stable “oil in water emulsion” is formed. In this form, the diesel will flow like water and can be easily removed from hard surfaces and extracted from the subsurface.
Pinkwater’s surfactant molecules are strongly attracted to both water and oil.
The surfactants in BioSolve Pinkwater are strongly ATTRACTED to BOTH oil and water! This MUTUAL attraction allows oil and water to mix!
The molecule head seeks full contact with water; the tail seeks full contact with the hydrocarbon.
In the presence of agitation, these opposing attractions disaggregate massive hydrocarbon globules into microscopic droplets and cover them in a thin layer of surfactant and water.
These water/surfactant encapsulated hydrocarbon droplets are called MICELLES.
Aqueous encapsulation of hydrocarbons provides three key benefits for remediation. 1. Reduced Volatility
- Makes fuel spills non-flammable
- Suppresses VOC emissions at remediation sites
- Reduces LELs during tank cleaning
- Controls organic odors at excavation sites, water treatment plants and more
2. Increased Solubility
- Enables extraction of hydrocarbons from the soil
- Removes spills from roadways with no slick spots
- Efficiently removes oil and grease from hard surfaces
- Controls paraffin build-up in oil wells
3. Improved Bioavailability
- Accelerates natural biodegradation processes
Pinkwater is Very Effective
- Gasoline
- Diesel Fuel
- Heating Oil
- Jet Fuel/Kerosene
- BTEX
- PCE/TCE
- Light crude oil
- Natural Gas Condensate
- Creosote
- Light oils
- Mineral Spirits
- Turpentine
- Hydraulic Fluid
- and others…
Pinkwater Works with Extra Effort*
- Motor oils
- #4 - #6 Heating Oil
- Medium to Heavy Crude
Oil - Palm Oil, Corn Oil
- Linseed Oil
- Paraffin
- Bitumen (tar)
- Other heavy, viscous or weathered products
Pinkwater Will NOT Work
- Lower alcohols (Methanol, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol)
- Most acids and alkalis
- Ammonia and ammonia compounds
- Nitrates, sulfates
- Ethylene glycol
- Other water soluble products
Applications
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Solutions for the aerobic bioremediation - Water and Wastewater
BioSolve Pinkwater is used to accelerate natural bioremediation of contaminated soil either on site through surface application or on land farms through application to biopiles. When Pinkwater solution is sprayed onto and aggressively mixed into contaminated soil, hydrocarbons come in contact with the strongly “lipophilic” (oil loving) surfactant. Mimicking the process by which bacteria make hydrocarbons digestible, the surfactants “solubilize” contaminates, pulling them into an aqueous ...
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Solutions for the emergency spill clean-up - Water and Wastewater - Oil Spills
BioSolve Pinkwater eliminates fire and explosion hazard when sprayed directly onto a fuel/oil spill. Aggressive agitation with a course stream reduces volatilization and causes LEL readings to immediately decline, possibly registering “0.” Application of Pinkwater also facilitates roadway cleanup and elimination of hazardous oil sheen.
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Solutions for the equipment decontamination
BioSolve Pinkwater is used for cleaning/decontaminating tools and equipment at remediation sites, in refineries, on drilling rigs, following spill cleanup, and in industrial maintenance operations. Generally applied with standard pressure washing equipment. Most oil and tar build-up can be washed away on contact. For more severe contamination, use of a hot water system may yield better results.
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Solutions for the in-situ soil remediation - Soil and Groundwater - Site Remediation
For over twenty years, BioSolve Pinkwater has been used for Surfactant Enhanced Remediation (SER) to mobilize and solubilize residual NAPL[i], facilitating its recovery and disposal. Depending on soil and plume characteristics, Pinkwater solution can reach contaminated zones through deep injection wells or be gravity fed from surface level injection galleries. After desorbing residual NAPL from soil surfaces on contact, Pinkwater then solubilizes the hydrocarbons in an aqueous emulsion, enabling extraction at down ...
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Solutions for the large tank cleaning and degassing - Water and Wastewater
Rapid turnaround is essential when an oil or fuel storage tank is stripped for repair or scheduled maintenance. This time-sensitive process can be frustrated by the presence of high vapor levels and unpumpable sludge. Over the past 30 years, BioSolve Pinkwater has proven to be a worker friendly solution to these challenges.
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Solutions for the small tank cleaning and degassing - Water and Wastewater
BioSolve Pinkwater is a proven tool used in the process of removing and repairing fuel storage tanks of all sizes. Pinkwater is best known for its unmatched performance suppressing volatile organic vapors that are present when working with fuel tanks (both AST and UST). The product can also be used to assist in loosening and removing tank bottom sludge. Major US and foreign oil companies as well as small tank removal teams find working with Pinkwater to be safe, simple, effective and worker friendly as ...
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Solutions for the vapor suppression - Soil and Groundwater - Site Remediation
BioSolve Pinkwater is used at major remediation and construction work-sites where excavation of contaminated soils may release noxious organic odors or hazardous VOCs. The dilute solution is sprayed directly onto newly exposed soil surfaces or stockpiles of contaminated material where volatilization is taking place. Used as an alternative to foam, Pinkwater creates a barrier that keeps vapors in the soil, allowing work to continue safely without disruption to workers or neighbors.
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