VOC Abatement

What is Wet Scrubbing in Ethanol Production?

During the ethanol production process, impurities like volatile organic compounds (VOCs) need to be removed during fermentation before being released into the environment.

Wet scrubbing refers to the process where this contaminated air is passed through a scrubber tower containing a bisulfite solution, which reacts with the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to minimize the negative impact on the environment.

VOC Abatement in CO₂ Scrubbers

The addition of a catalyst to the wet scrubbing process typically enhances the reaction rate and efficiency, helping to neutralize basic VOCs and create non-toxic reaction products that can be disposed of safely. Hydrite’s Hydri-Maize™ product line is a unique, concentrated blend of catalyzed bisulfites developed as a drop-in replacement for current bisulfites. Using this formulation, ethanol producers can help reduce plant emissions, energy costs, and freshwater consumption, all while improving operations and eliminating bottlenecks in the industry.

Ammonium Bisulfites vs. Hydri-Maize™ Catalyzed Bisulfites

 Case Study: Catalyzed Bisulfites in an Ethanol Plant

Since its launch, Hydri-Maize™ catalyzed bisulfites have removed billions of pounds of freshwater from ethanol processes across the United States. At a 110 million gallons of ethanol per year (MGPY) ethanol plant, producers saw a:

• 77% reduction in total hazardous air pollutants (HAPs)
• 74% improvement in HAP control efficiency
• 28% reduction in VOCs
• 24% reduction in scrubber water

These improvements were accomplished with a faster plant rate, warmer scrubber water, and using the same bisulfite dose. Download the case study.