Removal of siloxanes in biogases

Methods for the removal of gaseous silicon compounds in biogases are presented. In laboratory studies, various solid adsorption materials and liquid absorption solutions were evaluated for their siloxane elimination efficiencies. Among the liquid sorbents studied, concentrated nitric acid and sulfuric acid were found to be especially potent siloxane removing agents at elevated temperature. Solid adsorbents tested include activated charcoal, carbopack B, Tenax TA, XAD II resins, molecular sieve 13X and silica gel. Apart from activated charcoal, silica gel showed especially high adsorption capacities of more than 100 mg/g for siloxanes. Furthermore, excellent thermal regeneration of the loaded material was possible. The efficiency of silica gel in removing gaseous siloxanes was verified at a sewage treatment plant, where an adsorption bed with silica gel was used for biogas drying. Other gas pretreatment installations studied included refrigeration condensers and adsorbent beds of meadow ore for the catalytic removal of hydrogen sulfide. In contrast to biogas drying by refrigeration, which had a poor effect on siloxane content, the installation of meadow ore adsorption beds resulted in a significant siloxane reduction of 31-75%, depending on the site studied. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.