Carbonology

Europe’s chemical production industry is a major pillar of its economy and society, employing 1,2 million people directly and supplying essential products to many other sectors. From our experience in this industry, we have found that air purification and waste water treatment are common challenges...

Wastewater is a problem for numerous sectors, particularly as more stringent pollution limits are introduced. Several technologies are used, often in combination, to make wastewater safe for recycling or discharge. In many situations and sectors, activated carbon is an effective option, reducing...

Landfill sites contain a potential source of power: the biogas that is naturally emitted by decomposing waste. However, biogas contains not only usable methane (CH4) , but also pollutants which must be removed to avoid damaging the engines used to power electric generators. Learn more on how we...

Solvent-based paints and coatings are valued in numerous industries due to their resilience, smoothness and visual appeal. On application, however, they emit Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that can harm the environment and are therefore subject to strict regulation. In some cases, manufacturers...

Fibre Reinforced Plastic (FRP) composites are widely used in manufacturing as they are strong yet lightweight. Layers of glass or carbon fibres are combined with layers of resin in moulds to produce items such as boats, bathtubs and pipes. However, the resins often contain styrene , a well-known...

Across the EU, there are an estimated 2 800 000 developed or previously developed sites with potentially polluting activities, with 650 000 officially registered as such. [1] They include former and current petrol stations, factories and waste sites and chemical dump sites. To prevent environmental...

Controlling and reducing VOC emissions present a significant challenge for the wooden furniture industry. In this case, a factory making kitchen furniture was producing VOC emissions ranging from 250 to 1 500 mgC/m 3 , yet needed to abide by a legal limit of just 75 mgC/m 3 . DESOTEC provides...

Agriculture in Europe is reliant on fertilizers and chemical plant protection – almost 400 000 tonnes of pesticides and other phytosanitary products were sold in the EU in 2016 [1] Yet the chemicals used during their manufacture, as well as residue from the pesticides themselves, can contaminate...

Polyurethane (PU) is a highly versatile substance valued for its application in the automotive, home insulation, mattress, textile and shoe-making sectors among many others across Europe. However, PU is derived from compounds like isocyanates and tetrahydrofuran . DESOTEC supplies industries across...