VOCs and Solvents

Air emissions containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released by industrial activities such as: chemical manufacturing processes; reactions in plastics and composites manufacturing; spraying and glueing; food processing; cleaning and maintenance; chemical storage, loading and transportation; waste management; and soil remediation.

There are thousands of different VOCs, many generated naturally, including:

• Solvents, often used as coatings or cleaning products, such as acetone, butyl acetate, xylol, butanol, and ethyl benzene.
• Halogenated organic compounds, which contain chlorine, bromine, fluorine, or iodine, e.g. methyl dichloride or dichloromethane (DCM) and mono-chlorobenzene (MCB).
• Fossil fuel derivatives: mineral oils, bitumens, plastics: polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes), siloxanes and terpenes.

VOCs and solvents must be removed from air emissions to protect the environment, reduce odours, safeguard occupational health, and avoid damage to downstream machinery. 

• VOCs are a leading cause of ground-level air pollution, which poses a health risk. 
• Non-methane VOCS (NMVOCs) are ozone precursors: they react with nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the presence of sunlight (UVs) to form tropospheric (ground-level) ozone, or smog, which is a greenhouse gas. 
• BTEX and chlorinated compounds such as DCM also pose an environmental risk due to their toxicity. 
• Odorous VOCs and solvents include terpenes, styrene, alkanes and naphthalene, which all create an unpleasant environment for site workers and neighbours.  
• VOCs that pose an occupational health risk include benzene and DCM, which are known or suspected carcinogens, and acetone.
• Lastly, VOCs that damage machinery include siloxanes and terpenes in biogas, which can corrode combined heat and power (CHP) machines or the membranes used for upgrading into biomethane.  

Activated carbon adsorption enables companies to comply with relevant laws such as the EU’s Industrial Emissions Directive (IED), which incorporates the VOC Solvents Emissions Directive (SED) and the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive (IPPC). Reduction commitments for each EU member state are set by the National Emissions Reduction Commitment (NEC) Directive. There are also country-specific and regional laws such as Germany’s TA Luft. 

DESOTEC’s solutions can help your company comply with the terms of your factory operating licence at all times. Our solutions are modular, so can be expanded if legislation is tightened in the coming years, future-proofing your business. They can be deployed rapidly in emergencies such as odour complaints to keep your business running. Finally, compliant filtration waste handling is included in DESOTEC’s service, saving you the hassle of specialist waste disposal. 

Activated carbon filtration is recognised as the Best Available Technology (BAT) for many VOC abatement applications, and is often the most cost-effective and sustainable option – but it does depend on various factors.

For example:

• Where production is discontinuous, activated carbon is generally more cost-effective than alternatives such as thermal oxidisers (RTOs).
• If you prefer to have no capex costs, our solutions are supplied on a rental basis whereas many alternatives require upfront investment.
• If space is tight, DESOTEC filters have a smaller footprint than most alternatives.
• For short-term usage, our filters are mobile and rental – unlike more permanent installations such as RTOs.
• If treatment is needed immediately, our filters can be delivered fast and are plug-and-play – some alternatives have a lengthy lead-in time.
• If your needs might change in the future, our systems are modular – other technology might be less adaptable.

DESOTEC is keen to help customers find the best treatment for their needs, and our experts will tell you if they think an alternative technology might be more suitable than activated carbon.

Activated carbon is a very versatile technology, so there are many ways to optimise set-ups – e.g. placing filters in series, using different carbon grades, or combining filters with complementary technology such as scrubbers.

DESOTEC’s experts carry out testing, advise on set-up design, and offer ongoing support as part of our full-service solution. Our activated carbon filtration solutions have a low total cost of ownership (TCO): they have minimal capex costs, and our service includes maintenance, upgrading, and sustainable carbon waste handling. We install and exchange filters rapidly, minimising downtime and helping to keep complex projects on track. Waste carbon is reactivated wherever possible, reducing your TCO and your carbon footprint.