Giedre Jakstaite , Alvydas Zagorskis

Air treatment research of volatile organic compounds by drip–biofilter with cross–polymer charge

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Abstract

This experimental scientific work aims to determine the performance of the bio filter, when treated by a complex polymeric charge. To clean the air of the vocs, a new filter comprising of a complex woven polymer material using a lining of lavsano was used. State of St. Petersburg University of Technology and Design collaborated in selecting the complex polymeric charge. The charge has the following parameters: charge density of 1.38 to 1.39 g/cm3 , the number of threads is 31–192, deformation under tension 12–16 kPa, porosity 0.99 and the surface area of – 104 m2 /m3 . The research carried out using the biofilter was created by the Department of Environmental Protection in Vilnius Gediminas Technical University. The aim is to establish the efficiency of the biofilter to clean the air of acetone, butanol and xylene vapors at varying boot layer heights, pollutant concentrations and gas flows while burdened by complex polymeric charges. For the test we used a volatile organic compounds concentration detection device – photoionization detector MiniRAE – 2000 from American firm RaeSystems. The Test revealed the air cleaning efficiency of the biofilter at different air flows and pollutants (wet– charge) from the gas emishion. Research were carried out using three volatile organic compounds: acetone, butanol. Based on test results, the maximum air biofilter treatment efficiency reached 85%. The most efficient treatment of the contaminated xylene vapors achieved through the device was at 2.41 m3 /hr productivity.

Keywords: Acetone, biofilter, butanol, efficiency, charge.