vortitaylor.blogg.se

ShellBond could also be used to soak up oil spills remove ammonia and suppress algae blooms in hog lagoons. Although Filbert died in 2008, Hayes continued the work, pursuing opportunities to improve marine environments with the product. The pair received further patents to use ShellBond to mitigate environmental pollution, create protective coatings and restore coral reefs. When the patent expired in 2006, he approached Hayes about exploring other uses for the calcium carbonate creation. But Filbert believed the product had applications in ocean science, too. Burnt oyster shells were the basis for the lime used in traditional building materials, including concrete and mortars used in early settlements such as Colonial Williamsburg, Va. “We think we can grow oysters that are bigger, badder and denser with a lot less labor,” said Hayes.Īlthough ShellBond has potential to improve shellfish farming, the original product had a much more old-school application.Ī brick mason named Norman Filbert patentedShellBond in 1989 as a mortar made from marine shells. The paint provides the same calcium carbonate-rich environment with less bulk and more options for configuration within the tanks or cages. Rather than filling burlap bags with oyster shells, growers can brush the paint onto cages, concrete blocks, grids and other surfaces to create attractive spots for oyster spat to settle. The resulting white powder – called ShellBond – can be mixed with other organic ingredients to form a shell-based paint. Through a patented process, animal skeletal materials like oyster shells are heated, cooled, added to water and reheated until the chemical bond is broken and the shells disintegrate. “It’s a primitive and labor-intensive process,” said John Hayes Ph.D., oceanographer and managing partner of ShellBond.Ī sustainable material made from those same oyster shells could provide a simpler solution. Photo courtesy of ShellBond.Ī bag of shells might be the perfect spot for oyster spat to settle but shoveling shells into burlap bags and hauling the artificial reefs into the water requires a significant amount of effort for oyster farmers. Shellbond’s creative thinking aims to transform natural byproduct into aquaculture’s advantage A North Carolina company’s patented process breaks the chemical bond of animal skeletal materials like oyster shells and mixes the white powder with other organic ingredients to create a unique paint.