Biogas usually contains volatile organic compounds such as terpenes, siloxanes, halogenated hydrocarbons, ketones, alcohols, furans and esters whose presence in the biogas is highly dependent on the feedstock. These trace components can affect the integrity of the materials they come into contact with, e.g., equipment, pipelines and engines, and their presence in the gas may pose health, safety and environmental risks. Understanding the composition of gases is a prerequisite to ensure the correct function of gas infrastructure, appliances and vehicles. This study examined how volatile organic compound (VOC) content in biogas varies depending on the feedstock and evaluated the efficiency of different upgrading processes in removing VOCs. The data, primarily collected in Sweden, include biogases produced in digesters and landfills. The selection of VOCs included in this study was based on extensive analysis of samples collected from numerous biogas and biomethane industrial facilities over an extended period, providing a comprehensive overview of VOC composition. The conducted research is intended to serve as a basis for more systematic studies on the influence of process parameters and feedstock composition on the formation of VOCs. The data have multiple potential uses, including predicting which VOCs would be found in biomethane for a given feedstock and upgrading techniques. Additionally, these data can also be used in standardization discussions to assess the plausibility of the proposed limit values and the need to regulate additional compounds.
Read full abstract