ABSMaterials

ABSMaterials, Inc. operates in the advanced materials sector, focusing on water remediation technologies. The company was established in December 2008 by Dr. Paul L. Edmiston, a chemistry professor, and entrepreneur Stephen Spoonamore. The founding was precipitated by a serendipitous discovery in 2005 by Dr. Edmiston and his undergraduate research assistant, Colleen Burkett, at the College of Wooster. While researching responsive glass materials for detecting TNT, they observed a material that rapidly swelled to absorb acetone, revealing its unique absorptive properties.

Dr. Edmiston, who holds a Ph.D. in chemistry and has developed over 200 types of responsive glass materials, dedicated two years to refining this technology. His work on environmental contaminant detection, particularly perfluorinated compounds (PFAS), forms the scientific backbone of the company. Stephen Spoonamore, a serial entrepreneur with experience in building over 14 companies, provided the business acumen to commercialize the technology after hearing about the "glass that sucks up oil" in 2008. This collaboration merged deep scientific research with company-building expertise to address water contamination challenges.

The company's core product is Osorb®, a swellable, organically-modified silica (organosilica) that resembles a nano-mechanical sponge. This material is engineered to absorb and remove a wide array of organic compounds from water, including hydrocarbons, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs), without creating toxic byproducts. Osorb is regenerable, allowing for the recovery of absorbed substances, some of which can be valuable feedstocks for industries like oil refining. The technology is applied through various products, such as Osorb Water Mesh and Iron-Osorb TCE, targeting different contamination scenarios. ABSMaterials serves a diverse client base, including municipal water systems, industrial companies in sectors like energy and chemical processing, and agricultural operations. The company provides its solutions as a "Clean-Water-As-A-Service" for centralized waste treatment facilities and offers media for offshore gas platforms through channel partners. After operating for over a decade and raising capital through various funding rounds, ABSMaterials was acquired by Aquanex on December 1, 2021.

Keywords: water remediation, Osorb, organosilica, contaminant removal, water treatment technology, industrial wastewater, produced water treatment, PFAS remediation, volatile organic compounds, environmental technology, groundwater cleanup, swellable silica, nano-engineered glass, absorbent material, chemical separation, sustainable water solutions, cleantech, Paul Edmiston, Stephen Spoonamore, Aquanex