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Dechlorination of Process Water
Specialty & Catalysis

Dechlorination of Process Water

Granular activated carbon dechlorination of municipal supply water ahead of reverse osmosis, ion exchange, or chemical processing to protect downstream equipment from oxidative damage.

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The Challenge
Municipal supply water carries free chlorine residual or chloramine for disinfection. Direct use in reverse osmosis, ion exchange, or sensitive chemical processes causes immediate membrane damage, resin degradation, or product specification failure. Dechlorination upstream of these equipment is mandatory.
Quick Answer

Dechlorination removes free chlorine and chloramine from municipal supply water using granular activated carbon in a fixed bed contactor. Outlet chlorine residual below 0.1 mg/L protects downstream reverse osmosis membranes (which fail rapidly under chlorine attack) and ion exchange resins (which oxidatively degrade) and supports chemical process tolerance limits.

Dechlorination of Process Water

Chlorine Attacks Downstream Equipment

Municipal water utilities maintain a free chlorine or chloramine residual through the distribution network to suppress microbial regrowth. The residual is typically 0.5 to 2 mg/L at the customer connection. For most industrial uses this is harmless, but for reverse osmosis (membrane), ion exchange (resin), pharmaceutical manufacturing (specification failure), and sensitive chemical processing (product oxidation), the chlorine must be removed before the water reaches the sensitive equipment.

GAC Dechlorination Mechanism

Activated carbon catalyses the decomposition of chlorine to chloride and oxygen at the carbon surface. The reaction is fast: empty bed contact times of 2 to 6 minutes deliver outlet residual chlorine below 0.1 mg/L from typical inlet concentrations. SorbiTech GAC 1240 handles the standard free chlorine duty; for chloramine reduction (slower kinetics) the SorbiTech specification recommends a higher activity grade with longer EBCT.

Dechlorination of Process Water process equipment

Bed Sizing and Service Life

SorbiTech sizes the contactor for the contracted flow, the inlet chlorine residual, and the EBCT. Service life is long: carbon mass is not consumed by the dechlorination reaction; the bed runs for several years before contaminant breakthrough forces replacement. The bed is backwashed periodically to remove fines and surface debris.

Delivery as Skid or Media

Delivered as a packaged dechlorination skid by SorbiTech or as a media supply contract for an existing contactor. Sector coverage is industrial water, pharmaceutical and life sciences, electronics manufacturing, and chemical processing.

Selection Guidance

GAC 1240 in a fixed bed contactor sized for EBCT 2 to 6 minutes. Higher activity grades for chloramine reduction (slower kinetics than free chlorine). NSF/ANSI 61 grade for drinking water contact.

How SorbiTech Solves It

A Specified, Verified Solution

Define the duty

We capture your process conditions: flow, composition, pressure, temperature, and the target outlet specification.

Select media & configuration

Our engineers recommend the adsorbent grade and system type that meet the duty with margin.

Size & engineer

Bed sizing, vessel design, and cycle parameters are engineered to your case and documented for approval.

Commission & verify

We support loading, start up, and performance verification against the guarantee.

Recommended Products & Systems

Media

Adsorbents & Media

  1. 01 Activated Carbon GAC 1240 Adsorbent Activated Carbon GAC 1240 Coal based granular activated carbon for dechlorination, taste and odour, and dissolved organics in water. Form 12 × 40 US mesh (0.42–1.70 mm)
  2. 02 SorbiTech Inert Alumina Balls Catalyst Bed 99 Purity Inert Media Adsorbent Inert Alumina Balls High purity alumina balls for high temperature catalyst bed support, thermal mass, and aggressive chemical service. Form 3 mm · 6 mm · 13 mm · 19 mm · 25 mm
  3. 03 SorbiTech Compression Pads Hold Down Mats PSA Bed Hold Down Mat Adsorbent Compression Pads and Hold Down Mats Ceramic fibre and wire mesh hold down at the adsorber bed top to prevent fluidisation and attrition. Form Sized to vessel internal diameter; thicknesses 50 to 200 mm
  4. 04 SorbiTech Ceramic Support Balls Reactor Bed Support Media Adsorbent Ceramic Support Balls Inert ceramic balls for adsorber bed support, flow distribution, and graded bed transitions. Form 3 mm · 6 mm · 13 mm · 19 mm · 25 mm · custom
  5. 05 CMS 450hp Adsorbent Carbon Molecular Sieve CMS 450HP Ultra high purity carbon molecular sieve. 99.99999 percent (7N) N2, selective O2 and CO2 capture, 1.0 to 1.6 mm pellets, minimal fines, deoxo polishing… Water Cap. Feed must reach ISO 8573 class 1.4.1, deoxo polishing recommended for 7N %
  6. 06 CMS 420kt Adsorbent Carbon Molecular Sieve CMS 420KT High efficiency carbon molecular sieve. Higher oxygen affinity under 7 to 12 barg, 1.2 to 1.8 mm pellets, Snowstorm Filling compatible, ASTM D4058 attrition… Water Cap. Feed must reach ISO 8573 class 1.4.1 %
Equipment

Engineered Systems

  1. 01 SorbiTech Oxygen Vpsa Package Industrial Oxygen Vpsa Steel Mill Blast Furnace Equipment Oxygen VPSA Package On site vacuum pressure swing adsorption (VPSA) oxygen generation package delivering 90 to 95 percent oxygen for medical, aquaculture, ozone generation, and metals applications. Capacity 50–2,500 Nm³/h O₂ (90–95 % purity)
  2. 02 SorbiTech Activated Carbon Water Contactor Drinking Water GAC Polishing Contactor Equipment Activated Carbon Water Contactor Granular activated carbon fixed bed water contactor for dechlorination, taste and odour, dissolved organic carbon, and emerging contaminant polishing in drinking water and process… Capacity 5–2,000 m³/h
  3. 03 SorbiTech Community Defluoridation Treatment Unit Activated Alumina Fluoride Removal Skid Equipment Community Defluoridation Treatment Unit Containerised activated alumina defluoridation unit for community and decentralised drinking water supply to the WHO guideline of 1.5 mg per litre. Capacity 0.5–50 m³/h
  4. 04 SorbiTech Multi Media Filter Water Treatment Pressure Vessel Mmf Equipment Multi Media Filter Multi media filter for suspended solids and turbidity removal upstream of activated carbon polishing, reverse osmosis, or process reuse in water treatment trains. Capacity 5–500 m³/h
  5. 05 SorbiTech Hydrogen PSA Purification Package Refinery H2 Recovery Multi Bed PSA Equipment Hydrogen PSA Purification Package On site hydrogen PSA package using a layered adsorbent bed for high purity hydrogen recovery from steam methane reformer off gas or electrolyser product. Capacity 50–50,000 Nm³/h H₂
  6. 06 SorbiTech Coalescing Filtration Skid Oil Water Coalescer Filter Package Equipment Coalescing Filtration Skid Two stage coalescer and separator skid that removes fine dispersed hydrocarbons and solids from water down to single digit ppm. It is the polishing… Capacity 2–200 m³/h
Industries

Industries Using This Application

  1. 01 SorbiTech Pharmaceutical Life Sciences Gmp Biotech Campus Manufacturing Facility Sector Pharmaceutical & Life Sciences USP and EP grade adsorbent media for API purification, GMP compliant nitrogen generation, and controlled humidity packaging desiccants for the pharmaceutical sector.
  2. 02 SorbiTech Industrial Water Treatment Pulp Paper Mill Water Block Daf GAC Sector Industrial Water Treatment Process water polishing, cooling tower blowdown, boiler feedwater, and groundwater remediation served by SorbiTech adsorbent media and engineered treatment skids.

Specify a Solution for This Application

Provide your process conditions and our team will recommend the grade, configuration, and sizing.

contact@sorbitech.com