Removing VOCs from emissions in the automotive sector

A German company manufactures and supplies plastic car bumpers as official repair parts to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Their production is low volume and discontinuous

The firm has two coating lines which date back to the 1980s and are coming to the end of their useful life.

Air emissions from these coating lines contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and were originally treated with a regenerative thermal oxidiser (RTO). However, this RTO was also outdated, and could no longer allow the company to meet an emissions limit of 50 mgC/m³.

As the firm is building new coating lines, it did not want to invest in a replacement RTO for the existing facilities. It made more financial sense to opt for temporary treatment technology, so the company contacted Desotec for a rental solution with minimal capex costs.

The Aircon V-XL filter continues to operate successfully and will remain in place until the new coating lines are fully operational. These will run 24/7, requiring a new permanent solution to be installed

Desotec’s sustainable filtration systems are ideal for providing an interim effective solution while waiting for alternative technologies to come online. Our filters are mobile and have a small footprint, making them easy to deliver and install at crowded sites. Activated carbon is a simple technology that starts adsorbing molecules as soon as they are passed over the filter bed, without any lead-in time required. As our filters are supplied on a rental basis, they may be simply removed when no longer needed – though many customers do choose to adopt them as a permanent solution.

Desotec’s full-service business model is also the best fit for companies requiring quick, reliable fixes. We handle all filtration waste away from customers’ sites, removing spent filters in a swift and dust-free process. All adsorbed molecules are destroyed in our state-of-the-art furnaces, which are continuously monitored to ensure that only harmless water vapour exits the chimney. The carbon is reactivated wherever possible, driving down costs and boosting companies’ sustainability.