CONTROL OF VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUND (VOC) EMISSIONS FROM INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES

A NEW ADSORPTION--CATALYTIC COMBUSTION SYSTEM WITH APPLICATION TO REMOVAL OF VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUND (VOC) EMISSIONS FROM INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES AND COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS ESPECIALLY WHERE LOW CONCENTRATIONS OF VOC ARE PRESENT IN HIGH FLOWS OF OFF-GAS WILL BE INVESTIGATED IN THIS DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM. THIS SYSTEM WILL HAVE THE BENEFITS OF LOW EQUIPMENT COSTS, SIMPLE OPERATION, LOW ENERGY UTILIZATION, AND WILL BE APPLICABLE TO BOTH SMALL AND LARGE INDUSTRIAL GASEOUS STREAMS. FOR PHASE I, THE FOCUS OF THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT WILL BE TO SIMULATE THE VOC EMISSIONS FOR A PAINT SPRAYING FACILITY. SUCH WASTE EMISSIONS ARE TYPICALLY A COMBINATION OF SOLVENTS, LIKE METHYL ISOBUTYL KETONE (MEK), ESTERS, GLYCOLS, AND OTHER VARIOUS NON-DESCRIPTIVE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS. CATALYTICA'S OBJECTIVE WILL BE TO CONVERT THESE VOC EMISSIONS TO HARMLESS GASES. ALTHOUGH THE FOCUS OF PHASE I IS ON THE REMOVAL OF A SELECTED ODOROUS KETONE COMPOUND FROM A GASEOUS STREAM, THEY BELIEVE THAT THEIR TECHNIQUE TO ELIMINATE VOC EMISSIONS WILL BE DIRECTLY APPLICABLE TO THE REMOVAL OF TOXIC AIR EMISSIONS, SUCH AS NITROAROMATICS FROM INDUSTRIAL GASEOUS STREAMS, AND TO THE REMOVAL OF ODOROUS COMPOUNDS FROM COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS SUCHAS MEAT RENDERING PLANTS, RESTAURANTS, ETC. THE KEY DEVELOPMENT OF THIS TECHNOLOGY IS A NEW APPROACH TO CAPTURE THE VOC ON AN ADSORBENT AND SUBSEQUENTLY CATALYTICALLY BURNING (I.E., OXIDIZING) THE VOC. THE GOAL OF PHASE I IS TO GAIN BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE CATALYST BEHAVIOR. IN PARTICULAR, IT IS DESIRABLE TO KNOW HOW CHANGES IN REGENERATION VARIABLES, SUCH AS TEMPERATURE AND ENVIRONMENT, AFFECT THE CATALYST, THE COMPOSITION OF THE EXITING GAS, AND ADSORBENT EFFICIENCIES, AND HOW MULTIPLE REGENERATION AFFECT AN ADSORBENT'S STRUCTURE AND ITS ABILITY TO CAPTURE THE HYDROCARBON EMISSION.