Thermal Oxidation Technologies
Environmentally sustainable companies balance business challenges with operational opportunities and need a roadmap and long-term vision to meet clean-air initiatives. Linde provides innovative emissions control technologies to help you draw your roadmap and achieve both economic and environmental goals. Near zero emissions is economically viable and achievable.
Thermal oxidation is the most flexible, efficient, reliable and in some cases the only means of destroying hazardous and toxic chemical wastes. Linde specialized in liquid and fume incineration of these wastes. Our systems include oxidizers, heat recovery, by-product recovery and other equipment and controls to meet emission requirements.
Our oxidizers meet emissions challenges for the following industries:
- Petrochemicals - plastics and olefins
- Chemical
- Pharmaceutical
- Refining
- Paper
- Printing
- Textile manufacturing and printing
- Metals
Some of our processes can be used to recover acids, energy, metals and salts.
Gaseous and Non-Aqueous Liquid Wastes
Our flame-based oxidizers can dispose of every kind of organic gaseous and liquid waste generated by the chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical and metals industries. These systems are based on the high mixing performance generated by a high-swirl burner, effectively combining combustible waste particles and the required air to ensure complete combustion.
Linde developed submerged combustion (SUB-X®) technology for waste disposal. This process ensures safe, reliable, rapid quenching of flue gases to minimize dioxin formation when halogenated compounds are present. Typical waste streams treated:
- Halogenated hydrocarbons
- Organic and inorganic compounds
- Complex waste streams
- PCBs
- Di-isocyantes
We use simple up-fired designs if waste constituents are primarily organic compounds. If halogens, sulfur and phosphorous are present, we incorporate scrubbers or other mist removal systems. We add particulate removal devices for waste that contains metals.
Oxidizers for Aqueous Waste Streams
Destruction of waste streams comprising salt brines, aqueous liquids with organic contaminates, inorganic salts or metals pose many challenges. The most important consideration is that organic components must be completely destroyed.
Typical applications include:
- Spent caustic from ethylene plants
- Refinery waste
- Pharmaceutical plant waste
- Agricultural chemical plant waste
- Bio-diesel plant waste
During the oxidation process, most of the alkaline metals form molten salts that are corrosive to and reactive with many common materials. These complex waste application challenges can be met with SUB-X to continuously remove salts from the incinerator walls. The design rapidly cools gases to deliver a highly efficient solution. A high level of agitation dissolves most of the salt, ensuring that the gases undergo initial cleaning. Residual salts within the gas stream are scrubbed, meeting the highest air quality standards.
Flameless Thermal Oxidizers
Linde’s THERMATRIX® flameless thermal oxidizers (FTOs) are high-performance, cost-effective solutions for the destruction and removal of a wide range of VOCs and HAPs. We offer a full range of FTOs to handle flows from 1 to 100,000 scfm (1 - 160,700 Nm3/hr). Our portfolio ranges from stand-alone emissions control devices to large-scale process treatment systems and process-integrated, turnkey pollution control systems.
Our FTOs deliver a host of benefits including:
- Up to 99.999+% destruction removal efficiency (DRE), including halogenated organics
- Ultra-low NOx (less than 2 ppm)
- No secondary organic waste stream
- Energy efficient operation (self-sustaining down to 80 Btu/cf in fume)
- Approved for classified areas for flexible positioning directly at the source of emissions
- Stable operation when responding to variable organic loading
- Completely inert ceramic matrix with no catalysts to foul or regenerate
- Superior turndown capability that better addresses minimum base load conditions and reduces operating costs
- The potential for emissions credits for VOCs and NOx
Oxidation Systems to Meet Your Unique Application
- High destruction of VOCs and HAPs - can exceed 99.999+% destruction efficiency
- Unique systems for treatment of aqueous and non-aqueous waste streams
- Options for byproduct and energy recovery
- Potential for VOC and NOx emissions credits in non-attainment areas
- Over 70 years’ experience with a wide range of applications