Industrial exhaust air purification – how it works and why it is important
Air purification is an important part of industrial processes in order to minimize pollutants that develop as by-products. Efficient industrial exhaust air purification plays a decisive role in preventing the release of pollutants into the air, increasing sustainability and health protection and complying with legal requirements such as pollutant limits according to TA-Luft. But how exactly does industrial exhaust air purification work? And why is air purification essential for the protection of health and the environment in many industries?
Why exhaust air purification is necessary
Many industrial processes produce pollutants that affect the air quality and have a negative impact on the environment and health. Without suitable measures, air pollutants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter, particles and other emissions enter the atmosphere unhindered. Modern systems for exhaust air purification help to reduce these pollutants and thus not only comply with regulatory requirements, but also sustainably improve air quality and occupational safety.
Industrial exhaust air purification systems remove pollutants from the air with almost 100% efficiency and also convert pollutants into freely available heat flow. This prevents the release of pollutants and minimizes their quantity in the air. Systems for industrial exhaust air purification perform these tasks flexibly and efficiently – directly where air pollutants are generated: on site in industrial operations in various sectors.
How industrial exhaust air purification works
Exhaust air purification systems can be implemented directly in industrial plants and require very little space. Our systems for industrial exhaust air purification are electrically operated and combine the advantages of catalysis and heat storage. We offer systems for both thermal exhaust air purification and catalytic exhaust air purification.
In the thermal process, the pollutants are eliminated from the exhaust air by combustion. For VOC purification, the pollutants in the exhaust air are converted into harmless substances at high temperatures, which purifies the air. Our systems utilize the following common thermal processes:
- Regenerative thermal oxidation (RTO): Heat is recovered from the exhaust gas flow to minimize energy consumption.
- Thermal-recuperative oxidation (TNV): The heat generated is used to preheat the exhaust air and thus reduce energy loss.
- Direct-fired thermal oxidation: We use this process primarily when a particularly high temperature is required to break down persistent pollutants, for example.
Systems based on the catalytic process and catalytic post-combustion always use a catalyst that reduces the activation energy required for the oxidation or minimization of pollutants. As a result, the pollutants can be efficiently converted at lower temperatures. This leads to considerable energy savings. We use catalysts in both oxidation and reduction processes to ensure the highest possible degradation of pollutants while minimizing the use of energy.
Advantages of exhaust air purification in industry
Our systems for industrial air purification offer numerous advantages, including
- high efficiency: almost complete removal of pollutants at over 99%
- cost savings: reduction of operating costs by up to 90%
- environmentally-friendly: reduction of CO2 emissions by up to 70%
- space-saving design: up to 40% less installation space required
- modular design: units can be flexibly expanded and adapted to individual customer requirements for a customized solution for exhaust air purification
- efficient partial load operation: freely adaptable volume flow from 0 to 100%
- simple installation: plug and play, also easy to integrate into existing systems
- low energy consumption with high degradation rate
- almost complete heat recovery: no change of adsorbents, no disposal costs, low personnel costs, no downtimes
- electrical operation: no by-products from gas burners
Degradable pollutants
Industrial exhaust air purification systems prevent the release of a variety of pollutants, including
- volatile organic compounds (VOC): VOC emissions are gaseous or vaporized pollutants and are produced in many industrial processes
- carbon dioxide (CO2): CO2 emissions are significantly reduced due to the high efficiency of the plants
- nitrogen oxides (NOX): NOX emissions are minimised through low operating temperatures and special catalytic converters. NOX can also be converted into harmless nitrogen through selective catalytic reduction.
Examples of specific degradable pollutants:
- Monomers, butadiene and plasticizers
- Methanol, ethanol and other solvents
- Formaldehyde, adhesives and epoxies
- Carbon monoxide and hydrogen
- Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes
Areas of application for industrial exhaust air purification
Systems for industrial exhaust air purification are used in numerous industries. These include, for example:
- Chemical and pharmaceutical industry: Processes such as synthesis procedures and the production of active ingredients generate various gaseous pollutants and residual gases.
- Oil and gas industry: Gases and vapors are generated in production and storage processes. Residual gases often remain.
- Laser processes: Pollutants are released during cutting, welding and sintering.
- Printing industry: Processes such as packaging printing, gravure printing or 3D printing release solvents and other volatile compounds.
- Plastics industry: Processes such as extrusion, injection molding and granulation produce VOCs and plasticizers that need to be effectively removed.
- Surface treatment: Coating and painting processes lead to odor-intensive exhaust air flows.
Learn more about the ETS Air Systems technologies for industrial exhaust air purification.