It's a question that we asked ourselves when we first started looking at current air pollution abatement processes.  Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) occur naturally and are a by-product of many conventional manufacturing processes.  Common sources of artificial VOCs include paint thinners, dry cleaning solvents, and petroleum fuels.  VOCs released into the atmosphere participate in photoreactions with air to form ozone and contribute to urban smog and global warming.

As policy leaders continue to become more aware and concerned about the effects of air pollutants on our atmosphere and our health, they are further regulating the amounts of these pollutants allowed to be emitted into air.  While large manufacturers have long been required to control their air pollutants, small and medium sized companies are beginning to see tighter regulation of their emissions.  While on the individual level they may not be considered significant contributors to air pollution, the sheer numbers of these smaller firms combine to be large contributors on the aggregate level.

With tightening emissions standards, many manufacturers are being forced to make a decision between cutting production or adopting technologies to abate their air pollutants.  While we at AEB are big advocates of adopting processes which do not create air pollutants in the first place, we recognize that there are industrial processes that require some level of VOC emission.  So if we can't stop it, we can at least lessen its impact by creating more efficient pollution abatement technologies. 

Traditional pollution control systems burn pollutant-laden air at very high temperatures (greater than 1600°F), breaking down the organic compounds to benign components including water and carbon dioxide.  Large quantities of fossil fuel, typically natural gas, are used to heat the air and as a result large amounts of CO₂ are generated from the burning of the fossil fuel. 

While this technology is extremely effective at abating the VOCs, the amount of CO₂ from the burning of the fossil fuel can exceed the initial pollution by a factor of 10 or more.  For example, if a company spends $1M a year in natural gas to abate 100 tons of toluene (a common solvent), the natural gas results in the emission of more than 3,500 tons of CO₂.  Essentially, by burning natural gas to abate VOCs, the manufacturer trades one pollutant for another.

AEB has developed an alternative air pollution control technology that utilizes our electron beam emitter to destroy VOCs in active waste air streams.  In this approach, electron beam energy is used to force the oxidation of the organic compounds at process temperature; no heat is required.  Only small amounts of CO₂ from the destroyed pollutant are generated.  Since only electricity is required to achieve pollution destruction, a wide range of energy sources, including those which do not generate CO₂, can be exploited.  And because the energy is applied directly to the air steam, 100% transfer of energy from the electron beam source is achieved. 

We continue to work with partners to validate this application as well as plan for commercialization.  To learn more, please view the technical poster that AEB presented at the 2007 Clean Technology and Sustainable Industries Conference.