Ethylene oxide and other epoxides

Ethylene oxide (EO) is widely used for the production of poly glycol ethers and the sterilisation of heat-sensitive tools and equipment.

Over the last 30 years, Trevi has realised more than 100 gas scrubbers for the abatement of waste gases with high concentrations (up to 100%) of EO and other epoxides (such as propylene oxide and butylene oxide). These installations use a concentrated acid solution as the scrubbing liquid (acid scrubber) and often consist of multistage-packed bed scrubbers.

In recent years, our Trevi R&D division has developed a new scrubbing concept for EO that eliminates the need for the periodic replacement of the acid scrubber liquid. This has multiple advantages: lower operational cost and waste production, higher safety, …

For small gas flows (4-40 m³/h), a liquid jet gas ejector scrubber can be applied as a scrubbing technique, for example at gas filling stations. A bubble reactor and gas jet liquid ejector scrubber can also be used for specific applications of EO abatement.

A dry scrubber can be applied for the abatement of low concentrations of EO in fairly small gas flows. Our Trevi R&D division has also developed a biological waste gas technique (biofilter) for the abatement of high volumes of low concentrated (< 100 ppmv EO) air flows, as can be seen in aeration rooms at EO steriliser facilities.

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