A mixed agro-waste based biofilter for the removal of methyl ethyl ketone: Kinetics and modeling

Biofiltration has grown worldwide, as an inexpensive and consistent air pollution control technology for the elimination of numerous organic compounds. In this work, the biofiltration of methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) has been studied. The agro-wastes namely pressmud and cornstack are mixed and used as packing materials for the removal of MEK. The performance of the biofilter has been explored over 200 days. Experiments are carried out in four periods. In every period, the biofiltration of pollutants is performed for various inlet concentrations (IC) of MEK (0.2-1.2 g m(-3)) and gas flow rates (GFR) (0.03 m(3) h(-1) to 0.12 m(3) h(-1)). The biofilter performances are investigated by their removal rates, elimination capacity, temperature, pressure drop, carbon dioxide production, and variation of bed height at the time of operations. For the IC of 0.2 +/- 10% g m-3 and GFR of 0.03 m(3) h(-1), the removal efficiency (RE) of MEK is 97% using the mixture of cornstack (80%) and pressmud (20%). The MEK removal efficiency decreases, when the cornstack ratio increases. The maximum RE is obtained at the IC of 1.2 g m(-3) and GFR of 0.12 m(3) h(-1) for all the tested conditions. The pressure drop (PD) is also measured for all the operating conditions. It is found that the PD rises with an increase in height. The temperature is monitored throughout the biofiltration process. It is observed that an increase in RE leads to a rise in temperature in the biofilter. SEM images confirm the growth of microbes on the packing material. The kinetics of removal of MEK is investigated by using Ottengraf-van den Oever model. (c) 2022 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study investigated the biofiltration of methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) using pressmud and cornstack as packing materials. The performance of the biofilter was evaluated under different operating conditions, and parameters such as removal rates, elimination capacity, temperature, pressure drop, carbon dioxide production, and bed height variation were measured. The results showed that the mixture of 80% cornstack and 20% pressmud achieved a MEK removal efficiency of 97% at an inlet concentration of 0.2 g m(-3) and a gas flow rate of 0.03 m(3) h(-1). The maximum removal efficiency was obtained at an inlet concentration of 1.2 g m(-3) and a gas flow rate of 0.12 m(3) h(-1) for all tested conditions.