Color and odor removal

In the pharmaceutical, chemical, or food industries, product purity is of the utmost importance. Before the precipitation process, liquids can contain traces of dissolved substances that will add unwanted colors or odors to the finished product. Amino acids used in food production, for example, can contain organic nitrogen, detected as color; plastic recycling monomers might contain dyes or additives; bioethanol can include odorous aldehydes or amine compounds; and specialty chemicals such as deicers can include traces of color from organic compounds or trace metals.

Desotec’s sustainable activated carbon filtration solutions are purifying liquid chemicals such as acids, mineral oils, brines, and solvents. In urgent situations, such as when a problem arises in a batch of product, our mobile filters can be installed rapidly on a temporary basis to quickly resolve the issue.

Activated carbon filtration can also be used to clean up liquid by-products to prepare them for sale or reuse. The manufacture of chlorine, for example, creates HCI as a by-product, which is often reused as a chemical reagent. After purification, this HCI can be sold to the food industry at a higher price. Similarly, the manufacture of chemical intermediates can result in a by-product of phosphorous acid (H₃PO₃). By removing traces of organic matter detected as color, this phosphorous acid can be reused or sold for a range of industrial applications. This not only creates a new market, but also saves on disposal costs and boosts sustainability.

For food and feed applications such as amino acid production, companies must abide by the appropriate regulations concerning food safety. Alternatively, companies may need to meet specific quality standards set by their end clients. In-house production efficiency targets can also apply. In all cases, Desotec is the partner you can trust: our activated carbon filtration systems are capable of reducing impurities to below detectable levels, enabling you to meet the terms of your operating license or contract.