Treatment of volatile organic compounds from polyurethane and epoxy manufacture by a trickle-bed air biofilter

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of a trickle-bed air biofilter (TBAB) for the removal of volatile organic compound (VOC) produced during polyurethane (PU) and epoxy manufacture. The major VOCs emitted are ethyl acetate (EA) for PU and EA and xylene for epoxy production. For the treatment of VOCs emitted during PU production, the employed coal carbon appears to be efficient as a VOC concentration buffer in the biofiltration of waste gases. Based on the results of EA and total hydrocarbon (THC) removal, it was concluded that the TBAB is suitable for controlling VOC emission during PU manufacture. For the treatment of VOCs emitted during epoxy production, it was found that the performance of the TBAB is relatively poor due to the lack of VOC sources. However, this problem could be easily solved by mixing the VOCs emitted during PU and epoxy manufacture.