ACE Environmental Technology

Air control Engineering Co., Ltd.

VOCs & Odor Treatment Technologies

Types of Volatile Organic Compounds

배출시설(대기환경보전법 시행령 제45조제1항)의 관리대상 휘발성유기화합물의 종류
No Product & Material name Molecular formula CAS No.
1 Acetaldehyde C2H4O[CH3CH0] 75-07-0
2 Acetylene C2H2 74-86-2
3 Acetylene Dichloride C2H2C12 540-59-0
4 Acrolein C3H4O 107-02-8
5 Acrylonitrile C3H3N 107-13-1
6 Benzene C6H6 71-43-2
7 1,3-Butadiene C4H6 106-99-0
8 Butane C4H10 106-97-8
9 1-Butene,
2-Butene		 C4H8[CH3CH2CHCH2)],
C4H8[CH3(CH)2CH3]		 106-98-9,
107-01-7
10 Carbon Tetrachloride CCl4 56-23-5
11 Chloroform CHCl3 67-66-3
12 Cyclohexane C6H12 110-82-7
13 1,2-Dichloroethane C2H4Cl2[Cl(CH2)2Cl] 107-06-2
14 Diethylamine C4H11N[(C2H5)2NH] 109-89-7
15 Dimethylamine C2H7N 124-40-3
16 Ethylene C2H4 74-85-1
17 Formaldehyde CH2O[HCHO} 50-00-0
18 n-Hexane C6H14 110-54-3
19 Isopropyl Alcohol C3H8O[(CH3)CHOHCH3] 67-63-0
20 Methanol CH4O[CH3OH] 67-56-1
21 Methyl Ethyl Ketone C4H8O[CH3COCH2CH3] 78-93-3
22 Methylene Chloride CH2Cl2 75-09-2
23 Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether C5H12O[CH3OC(CH3)2CH3] 1634-4-4
24 Propylene C3H6 115-07-1
25 Propylene Oxide C3H6O 75-56-9
26 1,1,1-Trichloroethane C2H3Cl3 71-55-6
27 Trichloroethylene C2HCl3 79-01-6
28 Gasoline - 86290-81-5
29 Naphtha - 8030-30-6
30 Crude Oil - 8002-5-9
31 Acetic Acid C2H4O2 64-19-7
32 Ethylbenzene C8H10 100-41-4
33 Nitrobenzene C6H5NO2 98-95-3
34 Toluene C7H8 108-88-3
35 Tetrachloroethylene C2Cl4 127-18-4
36 Xylene C8H10 1330-20-7
(95-47-6, 108-38-3, 106-42-3)
37 Styrene C8H8 100-42-5

Optimal VOCs Treatment Systems by Emission Concentration

Inlet THC
Concentration (ppm)		 Treatment Method Detailed Description
~ 35 ~ Adsorption Exchange Replace with a new adsorbent once it becomes saturated after adsorption.
Adsorption Regeneration Regenerate the adsorbent using heat or pressure after it becomes saturated
~ 350 ~ Concentrator + Direct Incineration Directly incinerate the components that have been concentrated and desorbed from the concentrator
Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RTO) Incinerate the components that have been concentrated and desorbed from the concentrator with a regenerative thermal oxidizer.
Regenerative Catalytic Oxidizer (RCO) Incinerate the components that have been concentrated and desorbed from the concentrator with a Regenerative Catalytic Oxidizer
~ 3,500 ~ Direct Incineration (TO) Directly incinerate the incoming components.
Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RTO) Incinerate the incoming components with a regenerative thermal oxidizer
Regenerative Catalytic Oxidizer (RCO) Incinerate the incoming components with a Regenerative catalytic oxidizer
~ 35,000 Dilution Incineration Dilute the incoming components to a non-explosive concentration and then incinerate them directly
Concentration Recovery Adsorb and desorb (concentrate) the incoming components, then cool and condense them for recovery
> 35,000 Condensation Recovery Cool and condense the incoming components for recovery.

Characteristics of VOCs Treatment Technologies

Control Technology Capital Cost Operating Cost Actual Field Usage Process Flexibility High-Volume Capacity Applicability to Low-Concentration Contaminants
Thermal Incineration High High O O O O
Adsorption High Moderate O O O O
Absorption Low Moderate O X O O
Condensation High Moderate O X X O
Biological Filtration Moderate Low △ O X O
Catalytic Oxidation Moderate Moderate X O X X
Photocatalytic Oxidation Moderate Low X O X X

Characteristics and Advantages/Disadvantages of VOCs Treatment Facilities

Technology Characteristics and Advantages Disadvantages Applicable Process
Direct Incineration (TO)
  • Gas oxidation and decomposition at 700-900℃
  • High efficiency (99%) achievable with complete combustion
  • High tolerance for tar and particulates
  • Low initial investment cost
  • Inapplicable for non-flammable solvents
  • Risk of secondary pollution
  • High operating costs (high-temperature combustion, additional fuel)
  • Requires heat exchangers
  • Large equipment size due to high-temperature combustion
  • Low/medium flow rates
  • High concentration (LEL 20-25%)
Catalytic Oxidizer (CO)
  • Uses heat exchangers and catalysts
  • Oxidizes and decomposes gas at 300-450℃
  • Low operating costs (low-temperature combustion)
  • Compact equipment due to low-temperature combustion
  • Can use electrical heat sources
  • Caution is needed for catalyst poisons, such as organic silicons
  • Requires periodic catalyst regeneration
  • Suitable for medium to large flow rates (up to 1000 CMM) without catalyst poisons.
  • Applicable for mediumconcentrations(LEL10-20%)
Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RTO)
  • Oxidizes and decomposes gas at 800-850℃
  • Recovers over 95% of heat through thermal storage
  • High heat recovery rate reduces operating costs
  • Minimal secondary pollution
  • Not suitable for non-flammable solvents
  • High initial capital investment
  • Difficult to adapt to significant fluctuations in flow rate and concentration
  • Medium flow rates (over 100 CMM)
  • Medium concentrations (LEL 10%)
Regenerative Catalytic Oxidizer (RCO)
  • Oxidizes and decomposes gas at 250-400℃
  • Recovers over 92% of heat through thermal storage
  • High heat recovery rate reduces operating costs
  • Minimal secondary pollution
  • Caution is needed for catalyst poisons, such as organic silicons
  • Periodic catalyst regeneration required
  • High initial capital investment
  • Difficult to adapt to significant fluctuations in flow rate and concentration
  • Relatively high flow rates (over 300 CMM)
  • Low concentrations (LEL 4%)
Adsorption (Concentration) (ROTOR)
  • Adaptable to variations in flow rate and concentration
  • Suitable for both non-flammable and flammable substances
  • Low operating costs
  • High tolerance for tar and particulates
  • Cannot concentrate to more than 1/3 to 1/4 of the explosive limit
  • Pre-treatment required for high-boiling substances, particulates, and mists
  • Periodic regeneration or replacement of adsorbents needed
  • Secondary treatment required for concentrated gases, typically involving further processes such as oxidation or recovery
  • High flow rate, low concentration processes

VOCs Treatment Technology

Adsorption Regeneration Method

Adsorption towers are typically cylindrical vessels filled with granular adsorbents, such as activated carbon, and screens are installed to retain the adsorbent. There are two configurations for adsorption towers: vertical and horizontal. Horizontal towers are mainly used for handling large volumes of gas. For continuous gas treatment, two adsorption towers are connected in parallel to alternate between adsorption and regeneration. The face velocity is usually designed between 9-30 m/min, and the residence time ranges from 0.6-6 seconds.

CHEMACAL ADSORPTION

  • Chemical adsorbents are products created by attaching or mixing chemical agents with porous materials that efficiently react with the target gas to be removed.
  • The porous structure facilitates the physical adsorption of the target gas (through capillary action), enhancing the effectiveness of the chemical agents in removing the gas. After reacting with the target gas, the chemical agents become fixed within the pores of the porous material.
  • Chemical adsorbents are classified into organic and inorganic materials.
Principle of physical adsorption removal
Principle of Chemical Adsorption Removal

Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer RTO

An RTO (Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer) is a device that combusts volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at high temperatures of 800°C, achieving over 99% removal efficiency. It utilizes ceramic thermal storage media to recover more than 95% of the heat generated during the combustion of VOCs, minimizing the consumption of supplemental fuels.

Concentrator + Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer RTO

  • Low-concentration, high-flow VOC-containing air is concentrated into high-concentration, low-flow air using a concentrator, and then oxidatively decomposed in the combustion unit
  • Concentration treatment enables the combustion unit to be compact and integrated, allowing for reduced costs and a more compact design
  • Concentration treatment reduces fuel consumption in the combustion unit, utilizing the combustion exhaust as a heat source for regeneration

Catalystic Thermal Oxidizer

  • Applicable for the treatment of low-concentration exhaust gases
  • Applicable catalysts & operating temperature: Low-temperature oxidation catalyst, ozone oxidation: 180–220℃; medium and high-temperature oxidation catalysts: 300–450℃
  • Applications: Plating, printing, flexible packaging, petrochemical processes
  • Apply appropriate catalysts and oxidation methods based on generated pollutants.
  • Advantages : Reduced energy costs due to low-temperature operation, lower fire risk
  • Disadvantages : Requires catalyst selection suitable for operating conditions, not applicable in the presence of organic silicon and toxic substances in the gas

Catalytic combustion device RCO

A catalyst is a substance that lowers the activation energy required for a chemical reaction, promoting the reaction rate at relatively low temperatures. Catalytic combustion uses oxidation catalysts such as platinum (Pt), rhodium (Rh), and palladium (Pd) to initiate oxidation reactions at 200–400℃ using oxygen from the air.

Absorption Method SCRUBBER

Absorption is the process in which a gas and a liquid contact each other in counterflow or parallel flow, allowing VOCs to transfer from the VOC-containing gas to the liquid phase
Common absorbents include water, caustic soda solutions, ammonia, or high-boiling hydrocarbons. The choice of absorbent depends on the characteristics of the VOCs; for example, if the VOCs are water-soluble, water can be an effective absorbent.

P & ID

Chemical Adsorption Tower

ADSORPTION TOWER DESIGN

흡착탑 설계기준

  • 공탑 속도 : 0.35~0.5m/sec
  • 체류시간 : 1 sec 이상
  • Depth (흡착제 충진 두께) : 500mm

Control

Gas Chemical Adsorption Tower Operation Manual

상황 운전방법 1 운전방법 2 비고
평상시(GAS 유출없음) 방지시설 및 배기팬 정지 ROOM의 음압을 유지하기위해 배기팬만 운전 방지시설은 미운전 ( VALVE OFF) 상황에 따라 운전방법 결정
ROOM내부에 GAS 유출 발생시 GAS DETECTOR SETTING 농도에 따라 감지 -> FAN/방지시설 운전 / ALARM 송출 -> 감지농도 이하로 떨어지면 FAN/ALARM 정지 -> 유출된 ROOM에 설치된 GAS DETECTOR SETTING 농도에 따라 감지 -> 해당 방지시설 VALVE OPEN / ALARM 송출 -> 감지농도 이하로 떨어지면 해당방지시설 VALVE OFF & ALARM 정지
Event 발생 후 조치 유출 ROOM 및 방지시설 점검 -> 필요에 따라 Chemical Media 교체 진행 유출 ROOM 및 방지시설 점검 -> 필요에 따라 Chemical Media 교체 진행