History and pop culture are full of pairs that complement each other so well that there’s no other possible outcome than success, and science is no exception. Paul L. Edmiston and Stephen Spoonamore both bring different areas of expertise and knowledge to ABS Materials Inc., the company they founded in 2008. Their two-heads-are-better-than-one mentality allows them to excel in all areas of their business.
Edmiston serves as chief science officer of the company and Spoonamore serves as CEO. While Spoonamore is out networking and commercializing their revolutionary product, Osorb, Edmiston can focus on product development and research. Spoonamore previously launched 14 companies and has ample experience reaching into the market to attract business. On the other side, academia had always been Edmiston’s home. He is currently a professor in the chemistry department at the College of Wooster, and it was in his laboratory at the college that he discovered Osorb, a glass substance that captures volatile organic compounds from water.
The glass has properties that are desirable in many industries and is being used to remediate water. In different systems, Osorb has been used to remove oil, pesticides, TCE, PCE, pharmaceuticals and more from contaminated water, returning the water supply back into a safe source for people and animals to use. The substance is able to absorb eight times its own weight and retain structural integrity up to 20,000 times its own weight. It can also be regenerated more than 100 times, and the regeneration process takes place through mild thermal treatment or chemical rinsing. The detained materials can then be recycled or disposed of.
Osorb’s potential goes beyond water remediation — currently Spoonamore is in talks with various companies to establish partnerships.
The company is the recipient of four major awards in the past year, including the 2009 DOE/MIT Clean Energy Prize for Innovation in Cleaning Hydrocarbons sponsored by BP, the 2009 NorTech Materials Science Innovation of the Year, U.S. Department of Energy Small Business Innovation Research for Water Treatment, and National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research for Surface Water System Development. Edmiston and Spoonamore look forward to further innovation and breakthroughs with Osorb.
How to reach: ABS Materials Inc., (330) 234-7999 or www.ABSMaterials.com
