By John Berger, P.E. / Director of Marketing, Huntington Environmental Systems Inc., Arlington Heights, IL
When UCAR Emulsion Systems and a business unit within Union Carbide Corp., looked for a way to reduce the emissions of vinyl acetate and other VOCs during its manufacturing process, it faced a particular problem.
When UCAR Emulsion Systems, Cary, NC, a major supplier of latex to the paint industry, and a business unit within Union Carbide Corp., looked for a way to reduce the emissions of vinyl acetate and other VOCs during its manufacturing process, it faced a particular problem.
Because Union Carbide uses a proprietary batch process for latex production, the VOC concentrations in the process exhaust stream vary from almost 0% lower explosive limit (LEL) to a flammable mixture. A large variation in concentration — combined with the 95% destruction efficiency currently mandated by U.S. regulations — poses a problem for the most commonly used technologies.