VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUND (VOC) REMOVAL BY ADSORPTION ONTO ACTIVATED CARBON FIBER CLOTH AND ELECTROTHERMAL DESORPTION: AN INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION

Abstract

ABSTRACT Previous studies have shown good adsorption of volatile organic compounds (VOC) present in air onto activated carbon fiber cloths (ACFCs). In a chemical plant, a treatment process was carried out to control a gaseous emission (flow close to 100 m3 h−1) loaded with methylene chloride at concentrations ranging between 3 and 30 g m−3. A final mass flow lower than 100 g h−1 was required in the outlet emission. Two identical cylindrical ACFC modules worked alternately in an adsorption-desorption cycle. The outlet pollutant mass flow was found to be less than 4 g h−1. After saturation of the adsorbent, the module was electrothermally regenerated. Desorbed methylene chloride was recovered in a cryogenic trap and reused in the chemical processes of the plant. This system worked continuously for more than 18 months (24 h per day) with no operating problems and giving good performance in terms of VOC outlet emission concentrations.