What Is a Dry Scrubber, and How Does It Work?
A dry scrubber, or dry scrubber system, is a type of pollution control equipment that is designed to remove harmful gases and particulates from industrial exhaust streams. Dry scrubbers are primarily used to abate acidic gases, like those associated with acid rain. This is one of the most common pieces of equipment found in manufacturing plants, because of its ability to handle high temperature, highly acidic exhaust streams. A dry scrubber works by combining carefully chosen chemical reagents with the exhaust stream at incredibly high speeds, that react with or absorb the compounds in the stream. These chemicals react differently, depending on which compounds are being targeted; reactions either neutralize the dangerous VOCs, or absorb them into a different compound all-together. Once converted, the substance left over can then be disposed of or transported easily. Each type of scrubber media removes particles and compounds in a different way; some chemical reactions, while others use electrostatic adhesion.
Packed, dry and wet scrubbers are used to treat or clean the following lists of chemicals from a process exhaust air stream.
- Ammonia
- Chlorine
- Hydrochloric Acid
- Chlorinated Silanes
- Metallic Compounds
- Sulfur Dioxide
- Hydrogen Sulfide
- Boron Trifluoride
- Amines
Why Choose a Dry Scrubber?
- Handles high temperature streams
- Versatile
- Capable of abating very acidic streams
- Spent media can be a source of revenue
- Smaller space requirements
- Can be retrofitted into current equipment (in some cases)
- Lower cost of purchase
- Able to neutralize highly corrosive gases
- Several customizable options, based on specific output and applications, often allowing for a reduction in cost.
- Eliminates as much or more than 99% of dangerous gases, which meets all EPA requirements for MACT, RACT, BACT, and LAER
Possible Disadvantages:
- Disposal of waste and media can incur higher costs
- The chemicals collected may be too contaminated to be recycled in any way
Features & Options
- Competitive packages including instrumentation and controls, skid mounting of equipment, acid storage tanks, metering pumps, and installation
- Vertical and horizontal configuration
- Efficiencies up to 99.99%
- Capacities of 50 to 75,000+ SCFM
- Custom designed systems
- Options to be retrofitted with current equipment
- Media options
- Faster commissioning time
- Continuous monitoring with Gulfstar
- In-house designed and manufactured control panels
- Sized system process fans
- Portable options and sizes available
Wet vs Dry Scrubber
Both types of scrubbers perform the same basic function – removing dangerous particles from industrial gas streams. However, how they do it is slightly different. As their names indicate, a wet scrubber uses a solution, generally water or water based, to saturate the particulates and compounds in the exhaust stream, to weigh them down, and remove them from the gases. A dry scrubber does not saturate the particles; a dry scrubber uses dry reagents, that come into contact with the polluted stream, that then react, and either neutralize the dangerous compounds, or absorb them into a different, less harmful, substance.
Commonly used in these industries:
- Asphalt processing
- Pharmaceuticals
- Landfills and Biogas
- Coaters
- Textile Processing
- Tar Removal
- Curing ovens
- Vinyl Manufacturing
- Oil and Gas
- Acid mist control
- Fertilizer Manufacturing
- Wastewater treatment
- Steel Processing
- Electronics
- Food processing
- Cocoa Processing
- Nuclear Waste filtration
- Printing
- Precious metal recovery
- Etching
- Wood Products
Gulf Coast Environmental Systems offers multiple design solutions to best fit the operational parameters of its customers. In some cases, the desire is for a lower capital investment for a higher operating cost for those systems that do not need to run continuously, or the need may be for a slightly higher capital investment with a lower operating cost for those systems that do need to run continuously. The designs include single stage solutions, as well as multistage solutions. GCES also offers complete integrated solutions with other air purification systems, such as thermal oxidizers, carbon adsorption systems, or filtration packages. Gulf Coast Environmental Systems is a single source solution for highly durable and efficient packed bed scrubbers.
Considering a wet scrubber? Click here to see our wet scrubber page.