Removal of VOCs from wood processing ventilation air by advanced oxidation gas-to-particle prototype system

Abstract

Industrial gaseous emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may result in adverse effects to environment and human health, thus must be removed from flue gas before emitted to the atmosphere. Here we present a study of a real-world testing of a novel hybrid gas-to-particle conversion system targeting VOC removal from the ventilation air originating at wood processing facilities. Terpenes (primarily α-pinene, β-pinene, and α-terpineol) were targeted as the prevailing VOCs. The system was realized as a single-pass reactor having multiple stages of plasmolysis/ozonolysis, photolysis, nucleation, coagulation and agglomeration of aerosols, as well as precipitation of agglomerates in an electrostatic field. The VOC removal efficiency in terms of total VOCs (TVOCs) has reached 92.8%, while 100% removal efficiency of α-pinene, β-pinene, and α-terpineol was achieved with the non-thermal plasma (NTP) operating at a specific energy input (SEI) of 3.6 J/L (42 J/L of entire system). The advanced gas-phase oxidation system proved to be competitive in treating VOC polluted flue gases in terms of removal efficiency and relatively low energy input. The results hereafter promote faster development and extensive industrial application of gas-phase advanced oxidations systems based on the gas-to-particle conversion process.