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Source: Environmental Protection OnLine.com

Researchers have found a low-grade cotton from West Texas that might be able to clean oil spills more effectively and more eco-friendly than other methods currently in use. According to the study, one pound of the cotton can soak up more than 30 pounds of oil.

In a new study, researchers used unprocessed raw cottons to soak up oil, becoming one of the first studies to collect data on cotton and oil spills. Seshadri Ramkumar, the lead author of the study, said that he and his colleagues found that low-micronaine cotton is the most effective type of cotton at soaking up oil. Because this type of cotton is low-quality, it could also prove to be a cheaper option for cleaning up oil spills.

“In this region, about 10 percent of the cotton grown in West Texas is low micronaire,” said Ramkumar. “It doesn’t take a dye well, so it gets discounted. However, because low-micronaire cotton is less mature, it shrinks, and you are able to pack more fiber into a given area. The strength here is that the low-micronaire cotton absorbs the most crude oil. The oil is not only stuck to surface, the oil gets absorbed into the fiber.”

Barley straw and polypropylene wool have also been tested by other scientists for oil spills, but Ramkumar said those fibers still left big gaps in research, leaving room for improvements. This low-grade cotton proves to be significant in oil cleanup because it picks up oil by both absorption and adsorption, which makes the oil stick to the outer surface of the cotton.

Source: BodyShop Business.com

Paintbooths are costly and complicated purchases, and even the thought of making this large-scale purchase can intimidate a shop owner who doesn’t have all the right research in front of them. That’s why Col-Met Auto Direct has published “Paintbooths 101: How to Purchase A Paintbooth.”

This free buyer’s guide includes sections on paintbooth manufacturers, laws and regulations, safety, warranties, airflow configurations, installation and best practices.

“Col-Met has been selling paintbooths since 1997,” said Steve Russell, director of sales for Col-Met Auto Direct. “We know that a large expense like this can be difficult for body shop owners, so we created this guide to help you understand exactly what you’re purchasing, and what you’re can expect when you purchase a paintbooth.”

Click here to download “Paintbooths 101: How to Purchase A Paintbooth.”

Source: Body Shop Business.com

RDA/IMPACT Collision Solutions, a national group of refinish distributors dedicated to providing quality products and services and products to its customers, held its first training seminar on Saturday, March 16 in Dallas, Texas.

Bernie Blickenstaff, president and CEO of Pro Finishes Plus, led the seminar in front of 105 RDA members, salespeople and key employees. His presentation focused on RDA’s need to continually differentiate itself to remain successful and competitive.

“Our objectives at this meeting were to explain and show firsthand to the individuals who directly interact with the end user how to implement and make these programs work for them. These are the individuals who execute sales and marketing strategies at the shop level,” the RDA stated. “We would like to thank our sponsors – Evercoat, Saint Gobain and PPC – for helping to make this event the success it was.”

More information:

RDA/IMPACT COLLISION SHOP PROGRAMS

Source: BodyShop Business Online.com

An increasing demand for I-CAR training nationwide calls for I-CAR to offer a greater volume of course opportunities; specifically, those that are accessible and available on demand. To deliver on this industry need, I-CAR has added four additional online courses to its course catalog: Stationary Glass (GLA02e), Mechanical Systems Analysis (DAM03e), Damage Analysis of Advanced Automotive Systems (DAM07e), and Wind Noise and Water Leaks (WNW01e).

“To fully serve the growing training needs of the inter-industry, I-CAR has developed online and virtual instructor-led classes that are convenient, effective and essential,” said John Van Alstyne, I-CAR CEO and president. “That said, as our customer focus groups have told us, quality instructor-led, Live training with effective instructors remains the preferred way to learn for many, and the only way to learn when working with more advanced or complicated subject matter. Therefore, Live training remains an I-CAR priority for the ultimate learning experience.”

These online courses fulfill I-CAR ProLevel 2 training requirements from the Professional Development Program (PDP) and are also available in a Live instructor-led environment. The content in the recently converted courses is appropriate for online, but is also beneficial when taken in the Live instructor-led environment, giving students the option to match their learning preference.

More information:I-CAR