Document 10bYQ1p6K40KOzQke8pR8eERE
ICE MEMO TENNECO CHEMICALS, INC
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At Piscataway
NEW DEVICE TO REMOVE VCM FROM LOW CONCENTRATION EFFLUENT AIR STREAMS
Date July 7, 1980
Copy to
Avco Everett Research Laboratory, Inc. has an interesting prototype apparatus which is claimed to remove low concentrations of VCM from wet air streams, Avco's projected commercial intention is to manu facture and license a device to treat and remove VCM from dryer exhaust effluent streams in VCM and PVC production plants. Avco states that it would rather work directly with industrial companies than with EPA; however, there is an implied threat that they may choose to exploit their technology by demonstrating to government agencies that further improvements may be made in VCM removal with their process. In effect, that a "best available technology" exists for industry to continue to lower VCM effluents.
Avco's process involves an electron beam radiation device which ionically attacks VCM selectively to yield "innocuous" byproducts. Avco is looking for a commercial PVC producer to undertake a joint pilot plant project to demonstrate the efficacy of this approach. A descrip tion of a recent presentation by them is attached to this memo.
Avco estimates that there may be still lower allowable VCM emissions required from VCM and PVC manufacturing plants (e.g., 10 ppb at bound ary and bOg/hr. from source according to California AQB-1980). Carbon bed entrapment and incineration are claimed to be economical only for high concentration streams. Avco's "AERL" (electron beam radiation) removal may be significantly more economical at low concentrations.
The Avco unit has been tested on lab streams containing from 3 to 500 ppm VCM in dry and wet air, nitrogen, and argon. The ionization products are HC1 (~'70%) and PVC. The system has not been tested for copolymer in which there may be vinyl acetate monomer and trichloro ethylene present.
The case is given on page 10 of the attachment that for an air flow of 50,000 cfm containing 5 ppm VCM in order to treat the effluent to reduce VCM to <0.1 ppm, an irradiation chamber 7.5' x 2' x 2' is required. Effluent residence time is 36 millisec at a gas velocity of 56 ft/sec, using 300 kV of electron beam voltage. The capital required is $510,000 with annual costs of about $180,000 including power, mainte nance and 5 yr. amortization at 15%.
If there is sufficient interest in this proposal. Dr. D. H. Douglas Hamilton of Avco would be available to make a more detailed presentation to us. His primary interest is to find a PvC producer who will join Avco in setting up a small production prototype. Please contact me if you would like such a meeting.
DG/nm Attachment
D. Goodman
COLORXTE 019653
D. Goodman
NEW DEVICE TO REMOVE VCM FROM LOW CONCENTRATION EFFLUENT AIR STREAMS
DISTRIBUTION:
D. C. Coldiron H. R. Johnson F. S. Rlopp P. A. Lobo R. S. Miller M. K. Rosen W. Rupp W. R. Sorenson
July 7, 1980
COLORITE 019654
VINYL CHLORIDE REMOVAL D. H. Douglas-Hamilton
May 30, 1980
AVCO EVERETT RESEARCH LABORATORY, INC. a Subsidiary of Avco Corporation 2385 Revere Beach Parkway Everett, Massachusetts 02149
* Patent Pending
COLORITE 019655
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AVCO EVERETT RESEARCH LABORATORY, INC
PERSONNEL: EXPERTISE :
CURRENT INTEREST:
PhD LEVEL: 100 TOTAL : 700
GAS DYNAMICS LASER RESEARCH ELECTRICAL DISCHARGES IN GASES ATOMIC & MOLECULAR KINETICS MHD OPTICS HEART ASSIST BALLOON PUMP INDUSTRIAL LASERS
APPLICATION OF OUR BACKGROUND IN PHYSICS TO SOLVING PROBLEMS IN INDUSTRY
VINYL CHLORIDE MONOMER
SOURCE:
VCM AND PVC MANUFACTURE
EMISSION LIMITS TO ATMOSPHERE ; - EPA (1976) - CALIFORNIA AQB (1980)
10 ppm AT STACK 10 ppb AT BOUNDARY 50 g/hr FROM SOURCE
CONVENTIONAL REMOVAL: - CARBON BED
- INCINERATOR
ECONOMICAL ONLY FOR
} HIGH CONCENTRATION
AERL REMOVAL: - ION-CATALYSED DESTRUCTION
} ECONOMICAL ONLY FOR LOW CONCENTRATION
'PATENT PENDING
J5I84
^AVCO EVERETT
COLORITE 019657
CARBON BED
FLOW INPUT CONCENTRATION
< 500 cfm -- 38,000 ppm VCM IN N2
OUTPUT CONCENTRATION
~ 5 ppm VCM IN N2
RECOVERED PRODUCT
90% VCM AS VAPOR
COST
$293,000
FOR 50.000 cfm COST WOULD BE - $5M
INCINERATOR
FOR 50,000 cfm, ANNUAL FUEL COST WOULD BE - S5.5M
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COLORXTE 019658
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VC REMOVAL vs DOSE
DOSE (ME6ARADS)
( I MEG ARAD - 10 JOULES/GRAM AIR )
FED. EPA LIMIT
CALIF EPA LIMIT
S/Nl
REACTION PRODUCTS
GAS:
VCM IN N2
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PRODUCTS:
HCI
50% - 75%
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POLYMERIZED POWDER
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CHLORINATED HYDROCARBONS
NEGLIGIBLE
NO MASS SPEC PEAKS DETECTED FOR
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COLOR!TE 0X9661
kinetic equations
J 1VC1 dt
-k1 (] [VC] - y1 IN+2) [VC]
= _ [VC] [k [e] + y, [n+] * dt L
ATTACHMENT AND CHARGE TRANSFER DOMINATE:
S (e] = -------------------------------
k1 [VC] + k2 [Cl]
*S - lN+2] - -----------------------------
y1 [VC] + y2 [X]
CONSERVATION OF MASS: [VC] + [Cl] = [vc]0
[VC] + [X] - [vc]0
yyASSUME k1 - k2,
- y2 ; EQUATION REDUCES TO:
d[VC]
2[VC]
------------ ~ - ------------- . s .
dt tVC]0
HENCE:
IVC]
kD/ iff
--------- = e""1"TM
tvc]0
.WHERE V' = [VC]
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7- -
^lAVCOEVERETT
COLORITE 019662
EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS
1. FOR INITIAL CONCENTRATION 3 < < 500 ppm :
VCM IS REMOVED FROM
N2 AIR
DRY & WET DRY & WET
ARGON DRY
2. GAS TEMPERATURE RISE AT = 1 C FOR REMOVAL 5 ppm VCM
3. REACTION PRODUCTS : HCI ( ~ 70%) AND POLYMERIZED POWDER
4. FRACTION REMAINING AFTER D MEGARADS IS
e-kD/^
WHERE k = 269 ppm PER MEGARAD
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^'AVCO EVERETT
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EB INCINERATOR* IRRADIATION CELL
9- -
Z?AVCO EVERETT
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REMOVAL OF VCM
1. POINT DESIGN
AIR FLOW INPUT VCM OUTPUT VCM
50,000 cfm 5 ppm < 0.1 ppm
2. EBI SYSTEM
IRRADIATION CHAMBER RESIDENCE TIME GAS VELOCITY EB VOLTAGE EB SHIELDING EB POWER
7.5' * 2' x T 36 millisec 56 ft / sec 300 kV BUILT-IN LEAD LAYER 50 kW
3. COSTING CAPITAL
$510,000
INCLUDING
CHAMBER DUCTING EB SYSTEM SHIELDING CONTROLS
ANNUAL
$180,000
INCLUDING
POWER MAINTENANCE AMORT. (5 YR., 15%)
NOTE: CAPITAL AND ANNUAL COSTS INCREASE AS LOGe [INPUT VCM] E.G.: FOR INPUT VCM = 50 ppm, COSTS INCREASE -2.6 TIMES
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^27AVCO EVERETT
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SUMMARY
1. DEMONSTRATED ECONOMICAL PROCESS*FOR REMOVING VCM IN LOW CONCENTRATION FROM LARGE FLOWS
2. DEMONSTRATED PREDICTABILITY FOR SCALE-UP OF PROCESS 3. PRELIMINARY COST ANALYSIS PERFORMED 4. POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS IN PVC PLANT DRIERS AND
FUGITIVE EMISSIONS J5185
'PATENT PENDING