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Solvent Vapor Recovery
Gas Treatment & Drying

Solvent Vapor Recovery

Solvent vapor recovery using twin tower pellet activated carbon adsorbers with steam or vacuum regeneration to capture and recover volatile organic solvents from process and printing vents.

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The Challenge
Solvent vents from coating, printing, pharmaceutical synthesis, and chemical processing carry valuable VOCs that contribute to regulated emissions and to the operator solvent purchase cost. Recovery captures the economic value and meets the regulator emission limit simultaneously.
Quick Answer

Solvent vapor recovery uses twin tower pellet activated carbon adsorbers to capture volatile organic solvents (acetone, ethanol, methanol, MEK, toluene, dichloromethane) from process and printing vents. Steam or hot inert gas regeneration releases the captured solvent for condensation and return to the process. Recovery rates above 95 percent.

Solvent Vapor Recovery

Solvent Vents Have Economic and Regulatory Pressure

Solvent vents from industrial coating lines, flexible packaging printing, pharmaceutical synthesis reactors, chemical batch processing, and degreasing operations carry volatile organic solvents at concentrations from 100 to 10,000 mg/m³. The vented solvent is both an economic loss (the solvent has to be replaced from new purchase) and an environmental liability (the vent stream contributes to regulated VOC emissions). Recovery captures both.

Twin Tower Carbon Adsorber Configuration

The SorbiTech vapour recovery unit uses twin pellet activated carbon adsorbers running 180 degrees out of phase. The pellet form is preferred over granular: lower pressure drop in the vent gas service, higher hardness through the regeneration cycles, and longer service life. One tower is on adsorption capturing the solvent; the other is on regeneration releasing the captured solvent for condensation.

Solvent Vapor Recovery process equipment

Steam or Hot Gas Regeneration

Two regeneration methods are offered. Steam regeneration heats the bed to 100 to 120 °C and uses the steam to strip the captured solvent; the solvent vapour is condensed in a downstream chiller and the recovered solvent and water are decanted. This route suits water miscible solvents (ethanol, methanol, acetone). Hot inert gas regeneration uses heated nitrogen at 100 to 180 °C and avoids the water contamination of the recovered solvent; this route suits water sensitive solvents (THF) or halogenated solvents (dichloromethane).

Delivery and Economics

Delivered as a complete vapour recovery unit by SorbiTech or SorbiTech. Recovery rates above 95 percent are routine; the avoided solvent purchase cost typically pays for the unit within 18 to 36 months. Sector coverage is petrochemicals, pharmaceutical, and chemical processing.

Selection Guidance

Twin pellet activated carbon adsorbers with steam regeneration (for water miscible solvents) or hot inert gas regeneration (for halogenated or oxidation sensitive solvents). Condenser downstream for solvent recovery.

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 Pellet Activated Carbon Adsorbent Pellet Activated Carbon Extruded pellet carbon for gas phase duties: solvent recovery, vapour recovery, odour control, and mercury guard beds. Form 3 mm or 4 mm extruded pellets
  2. 02 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 %
  3. 03 SorbiTech Impregnated Activated Carbon H2S Acid Gas Mercury Removal Adsorbent Impregnated Activated Carbon Sulfur, KI, or KOH impregnated activated carbon. Mercury below 10 ng per Nm3, H2S and mercaptan capture upstream of catalysts. 4 mm pellet or… Water Cap. Dry feed preferred, water displaces impregnant %
  4. 04 Molecular Sieve 5a Adsorbent Molecular Sieve 5A Calcium form 5A zeolite for n paraffin separation, hydrogen purification, and oxygen PSA generation. Pore Ø 5 Å
  5. 05 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 %
  6. 06 CMS 350kt Adsorbent Carbon Molecular Sieve CMS 350KT Rapid adsorption carbon molecular sieve. 40 to 90 second cycle at 7 to 10 barg, up to 99.99 percent N2, 1.0 to 2.2 mm… Water Cap. Moisture at supply below 1.0 percent, feed must reach ISO 8573 class 1.4.1 %
Equipment

Engineered Systems

  1. 01 SorbiTech Vapour Recovery Unit Activated Carbon VRU Solvent Recovery Equipment Vapour Recovery Unit (VRU) Activated carbon vapour recovery unit for tank farms, loading racks, and process vents to capture and recover hydrocarbons before stack release. Capacity 50–10,000 Nm³/h vent gas
  2. 02 SorbiTech Biogas Upgrading Unit Biomethane PSA Carbon Molecular Sieve Equipment Biogas Upgrading Unit PSA biogas upgrading unit using carbon molecular sieve to separate carbon dioxide from methane and deliver grid quality bio methane from anaerobic digester biogas… Capacity 50–2,000 Nm³/h raw biogas
  3. 03 SorbiTech Transformer Breather Cartridge System Silica Gel Grid Utility Breather Equipment Transformer Breather Cartridge System Pre packaged stainless steel transformer breather cartridge with indicating silica gel for grid transformer moisture protection across the high voltage transmission and distribution network. Capacity 0.5–25 kVA transformer to 800 kV substation
  4. 04 SorbiTech Cip Cil Gold Carbon Plant Carbon in Pulp Leach Gold Recovery Equipment CIP CIL Gold Carbon Plant Carbon in pulp (CIP) and carbon in leach (CIL) gold recovery plant using high activity coconut shell granular activated carbon to recover gold cyanide… Capacity 10–200 t/h ore throughput
  5. 05 SorbiTech Cryogenic ASU Pre Purification Package ASU Front End 13x Alumina TSA Towers Equipment Cryogenic ASU Pre Purification Package Front end TSA pre purification package for cryogenic air separation units removing water, carbon dioxide, and trace hydrocarbons before the cold box. Capacity 5,000–500,000 Nm³/h air
  6. 06 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)
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 Petrochemicals Refining Integrated Cracker Complex Distillation Columns Sector Petrochemicals & Refining Adsorbents and separation systems for feedstock drying, process gas conditioning, solvent recovery, and refinery effluent treatment.

Specify a Solution for This Application

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

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