18 mm in diameter and had a density of 1 3 g ml the basis weight of the carrier web was 200 g m 2 the extrusion rate per unit length of die for the carrier web was 0 12 kg hr cm the collector was 0 53 m from the die and the collection speed was 131 cm min particles were loaded into the boom at the rate of 1 21 kg hr cm the resultant boom had a lineal weight of 431 g m when the edges were trimmed in the lineal direction the boom had an essentially oval shaped cross section measuring 3 5 cm thick by 5 5 cm wide the basis weight solidity tensile strength instantaneous sorbency centrifugal retention volumetric sorbency and volumetric retention of the boom was determined the results are set forth in table 7 a boom was prepared containing 8 weight percent carrier web of polypropylene exxon 3495g melt blown microfibers having an effective fiber diameter of 20 micrometers and 92 weight percent of sulfonated styrene divinylbenzene copolymeric ion exchange resin hcr s fine mesh resin from dow chemical co resin particles were 0 25 0 7 mm diameter and has a density of 1 3 g ml the web had a basis weight of 200 g m 2 the extrusion rate per unit length of die for the carrier web was 0 12 kg hr cm the collector was 0 53 m from the die and the collection.