AquaBlok® particles expand when hydrated, with the degree of expansion determined largely by the product formulation and salinity of the hydrating water. When a mass of discrete and relatively hard AquaBlok® particles hydrate and coalesce, the mass transforms into a continuous and relatively soft body of material.

AquaBlok® Expansion Upon Hydration

Once developed across a targeted placement surface, the hydrated AquaBlok® material can act as an effective physical, hydraulic, and/or chemical environmental barrier by virtue of its:

• relatively cohesive character;
• relatively low permeability to water (e.g. typical freshwater [bentonite-based] formulations display saturated hydraulic conductivity values on the order of 10-9 cm/s.);
• chemically reactive nature, in that the clay and other high surface-area components can effectively sorb, or attenuate, various types of dissolved contaminants.

Benthic Protection

Sediment Stabilization

Reduce Contaminant Migration

In addition to acting as an effective environmental barrier, AquaBlok® can also provide substrate for wetland vegetation as well as habitat for macroinvertebrate organisms, particularly when additional organic materials (food) is provided as part of the product formulation.

Benthic Testing with AquaBlok®

The AquaBlok® technology can also act as a vector for the targeted delivery of wetland seeds (see SubmerSeed®) as well as chemical reagents to facilitate in situ treatment of environmental contaminants.