Solvent Recovery

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Typically, solvent recovery becomes feasible VOC Abatement solution where the annual total VOC load is relatively large, the recovered solvents or single solvent are of high value, or if the recovered solvents can be directly re-used within the process, thereby offsetting solvent purchase costs. Solvent Recovery systems have a strong advantage over other abatement solutions where single solvents, such as Toluene are used, where the value of the recovered solvent can outweigh the CAPEX and OPEX expenses of the system.

A typical solvent recovery process consists of an activated carbon adsorption unit with two, but as many as seven, adsorber units and, if required, an air stripper or distillation unit. Typically, steam is used to remove and recover the solvents which are adsorbed onto the carbon beds, thereby regenerating the carbon for further adsorption.

MEGTEC's carbon adsorption technology can comply with the lowest emission limits, achieving removal efficiencies of more than 99.9%.

MEGTEC Adsorption Systems are available in a wide range of flows and configurations to meet any process requirement or space constraint, such as:

• Air flows from 680 Nm3/h to over 510,000 m3/h
• Solvent concentrations from less than 1 ppmv to over 10,000 ppmv
• Solvent loads of less than 1 kg/h to more than 8,000 kg/h
• Low air flows with high solvent loads
• Complex VOC mixtures
• Waste water clean up
• Corrosive solvent mixtures
• Combinations of the above

MEGTEC’s integrated solutions for solvent recovery, distillation, and VOC/HAP emissions abatement have been used in industries such as:

• Gravure printing (publication, packaging & product)
• Paper film & foil coating (magnetic media, adhesive tape)
• Pharmaceuticals (tablet coating, fluid bed drying, condenser vents)
• Rubber (offset printing blankets, gloves, gaskets)
• Synthetic film & fiber manufacturing (membranes, battery separators)
• Chemical manufacturing (hydrogen peroxide, munitions)
• Electronics (photoresist)
• Plastics (foam)
• Automotive
• Aerospace
• Food products
• Degreasing
• Remediation (soil vapour extraction; air strippers)
• Waste water treatment (Solvent removal)

The highest quality components and fabrication techniques are utilised in the manufacture of the Solvent Recovery Systems, and the units are based on proven designs and over 100 year of experience in the supply of carbon systems.

MEGTEC also offers its CADRE® Concentrator, a system that combines regenerative carbon adsorption with an oxidizer to control low, variable, concentration VOC/HAP emissions contained in large air streams, as well as Revolver® Z, a Zeolite rotor concentrator coupled with a thermal oxidizer.

Typically, small solvent recovery systems are offered as completely pre-assembled skid-mounted units. Large solvent recovery systems are supplied as total turnkey projects where Scion Technologies, with MEGTEC, assumes responsibility for the entire installation and start up of the system.

Non-regenerable Carbon

Scion Technologies offers a range of MEGTEC’s non-regenerable adsorbers, from simple stand-alone units to skid-mounted packages for minimization of installation and commissioning time. Non-regenerable carbon adsorbers are suitable for treating relatively low mass emissions of a range of pollutants from VOCs/solvents to odours and hydrogen sulphide.

Typically, these carbon adsorbers are low-capital cost solutions, which are used in applications where the total annual emissions are less than 10 tons. Once the carbon is saturated with the contaminant, the carbon is changed out and replaced with new carbon.

The carbon adsorbers are designed to:

• Optimize flow distribution through the carbon bed and so minimize carbon consumption
• Minimize installation and commissioning time
• Handle a large range of VOCs and other pollutants with a single unit
• Facilitate easy carbon change out minimizing carbon handling
• Provide good access to facilitate easy servicing of adsorbers

Typical applications of non-regenerable carbon adsorbers are:

• Process vents from reactors/columns/vacuum pumps
• Intermittent emissions from dryers and other processes
• Low concentration emissions from solvent processes including printing, painting and coating
• Odours from food and other organic processes
• To provide a back-up facility for another type of abatement, for example for annual maintenance