Carbon Adsorbers

Activated Carbon Beds

Carbon adsorption removes volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and many compounds that contain sulfur, such as mercaptans and hydrogen sulfide, from vapor streams. The type of carbon, nature of the contaminant, gas flow rates, temperature, among other factors affect the performance of adsorption systems. Fixed-bed carbon adsorption equipment does not require pumps to recirculate the scrubbing solution, liquid distribution systems, or mist eliminators. The adsorber removes many VOCs that pass through conventional wet scrubbers.

Contaminated air enters the bottom of the adsorber vessel and flows upward through the carbon bed. As the contaminated vapor stream passes through the carbon, the contaminants contact the carbon and adsorb onto the activated surface. The highly porous activated carbon provides a large effective surface area. Activated carbon may be granular or pelletized.

Activated carbon is manufactured from bituminous coal, wood, coconut shells, and lignite. The material becomes porous during the manufacturing process. Activated carbon may be impregnated with certain chemicals, i.e., sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide to enhance its performance during adsorption of various compounds.

Applications for this product include:

• Environmental control,
• Waste treatment facilities,
• Chemical processing,
• Gas recovery and treatment,
• Cleaning agent removal,
• Air purification.

Once the carbon bed has been saturated with contaminants, it is possible in many cases to regenerate the carbon, either through heating or chemical washing, to return much of the activity of the virgin material. Some contaminants, such as PCBs, dioxins, or furans are generally not recommended for carbon adsorption, because of complicated disposal and/or regeneration processes. HEIL Process Equipment applications engineers can provide specific recommendations.

SERIES 900 CORROSION RESISTANT CONSTRUCTION

HEIL Series 900 Carbon Adsorbers are fabricated of corrosion resistant materials, principally FRP and stainless steel.

The Series 900 Carbon Adsorber has a standard 3'-0" deep carbon bed. The depth of carbon and the specific type of carbon can be specifically selected, however, for the intended service conditions, to maximize performance and minimize operating costs. Complete systems including blowers, ventilation ductwork, control panels and instrumentation can be supplied.