REMOVAL OF VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS FROM WASTE GASES BY USING THE ADSORPTION

V magistrski nalogi smo preučili proces adsorpcije hlapnih organskih snovi na porozni strukturi aktivnega oglja v pilotni napravi. Pregledali smo vrste organskih snovi, ki se pojavljajo v industrijskih odpadnih plinih. Eksperimentalni del magistrske naloge smo izvedli v podjetju ESOTECH d.d., kjer smo uporabili obstoječo pilotno napravo za odstranjevanje emisij hlapnih organskih spojin. Pilotno napravo smo pred testiranji nadgradili in s tem omogočili nadzorovan proces adsorpcije. Z analizo podjetij, ki so v skladu s t. i. IPPC direktivo zavezana k omejevanju emisij hlapnih organskih spojin v okolje, smo pridobili podatke o vrstah hlapnih organskih spojin, ki jih uporabljajo pri svojih procesih. Štiri izbrane vrste hlapnih organskih spojin smo opredelili kot tekoče adsorbate: aceton, etanol, etilacetat in metanol. Za plinaste adsorbate smo izbrali eten in propan. Proces adsorpcije smo izvajali na aktivnem oglju tipa Supersorbon K 40 pri volumskem pretoku skupnih zajetih plinov 20 m3/h. Z variacijo volumskega pretoka smo izvedli še adsorpcijo acetona in propana pri 120 m3/h in 220 m3/h. Kot rezultat smo podali diagrame nasičenja za vsak posamezen adsorbat, iz katerih je razviden čas preboja do mejnih vrednosti. Iz pridobljenih podatkov smo izračunali maso in delež posameznega adsorbata, ki se adsorbira na aktivno oglje. Iz rezultatov je bilo ugotovljeno, da ima aktivno oglje različno adsorpcijsko afiniteto do izbranih adsorbatov. Spoznali smo, da polarnost, velikost molekule in funkcionalne skupine v molekuli adsorbata vplivajo na delež vezanega adsorbata. Izmed izbranih vrst adsorbatov se je etilacetat v največji meri sposoben adsorbirati na izbran tip aktivnega oglja, najmanj pa eten.In this thesis we studied the process of volatile organic compounds adsorption in porous structure of activated carbon within the pilot plant. We reviewed the types of organic compounds that occur in industrial waste gases. The experimental part of the thesis was carried out at the company ESOTECH d.d., where the existing pilot plant for the removal of the emissions of volatile organic compounds was used. The pilot plant was upgraded in order to enable a controlled adsorption process. Those companies that are subject to the so-called IPPC Directive are committed to restrict emissions of volatile organic compounds into the environment. Through the analysis of these companies information about the types of volatile organic compounds was obtained. We classified four selected types of volatile organic compounds as liquid adsorbates: acetone, ethanol, methanol and ethyl acetate. For gaseous adsorbate we selected ethene and propane. The process of adsorption was carried out on the activated carbon type Supersorbon K 40 at the flow rate of total captured gases 20 m3/h. By varying the flow rate we carried out the adsorption of acetone and propane at 120 m3/h and 220 m3/h. As a result, we made the saturation diagrams for each adsorbate, showing the breakthrough time to the limit values. From the data obtained we calculated the weight and mass fraction of particular adsorbate, which was adsorbed on activated carbon. The results obtained showed that activated carbon has different adsorption affinity to selected adsorbates. We realize, that polarity, size of molecule and functional groups in the molecule affect the fraction of the adsorbed adsorbate. Ethly acetate has demonstrated the largest ability to adsorb on the selected type of activated carbon, while ethene the lowest