Thermal Oxidizer Posts

Many industries utilize silicone as an ingredient in their manufactured product. Silicone enhances the attributes of the product or helps to improve production characteristics. Whatever the reason may be, users of solvent borne silicone's all face very troubling issues when it comes to the selection of the right air pollution control system.

A large midstream natural gas processing facility was in urgent need of a VOC abatement device for their newly expanded gas processing plant. The operator was expanding their operations at an unusually fast pace. In the process of bringing on new gas treating capacity, they found themselves up against the limits of their current operating permit. Any new sources would put them over their limits as defined under EPA guidelines: 40 CFR, Part 63, Subpart HH – National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants from Oil and Natural Gas Production Facilities.

Air Pollution Control Oxidizer Case Studies

Recently, a contract drug manufacturing company faced violation of their state operating permit, costly fines, and potential Title V permit classification. To avoid penalties, a more robust abatement device had to be installed, one that met the necessary emissions standards for volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

A Silicone Tape Converter recently replaced a poorly designed thermal oxidizer with a custom engineered thermal oxidizer designed by Catalytic Products International, Inc. The process coated film with a silicone based adhesive. The silicone vaporizes with other VOC’s in the drying process and is ducted to the thermal oxidizer. The combustion process converts the silicone vapors to a powder – like Silicon DiOxide. In a traditionally designed thermal oxidizer, the SiO2 clings to metal surfaces and causes lost efficiency with excessive maintenance.

Faced with meeting the needs of their Pharmaceutical Industry MACT Standards, one Fortune 100 Pharmaceutical Manufacturer called on CPI for assistance. The challenge for Catalytic Products International was to design a system that was able to process the ultra-high LEL (high concentration of VOC’s) and deal with corrosive acids produced in the process off gas and the post-combustion gases. Adding to the challenge, there were many more sources that use halogenated VOC’s in the process. A halogenated VOC is an organic hydro-carbon that contains chlorine (Cl). The post combustion gases will contain Hydrochloric Acid. In order to meet the needs of local regulations and the industry MACT, the HCl also has to be removed from the exhaust stream prior to atmospheric release.