David Geoffrey Lane

US Patent:

53084578, May 3, 1994

Filed:

Apr 5, 1991

Appl. No.:

7/681869

Inventors:

Ralph A. Dalla Betta - Mountain View CA
James C. Schlatter - Sunnyvale CA
David R. Lane - San Jose CA
Diana O. Durieux - Campbell CA

Assignee:

Catalytica, Inc. - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

C25F 500

US Classification:

204131

Abstract:

This invention is a device and a process for controlling the emission of volatile organic components. The invention is useful on gaseous or vapor-containing streams containing a minor amount of organic material, particularly on fairly dilute streams or those containing only a few parts per million of the organic material. The device is useful in adsorbing organics as might be found emanating from paint spray booths, restaurants, print shops, dry cleaners, furniture manufacturers, and bakeries. The device may be two-stage including an adsorber and a catalytic oxidation reactor or may be of such a configuration that the same bed is used both as the adsorber and catalytic oxidation reactor. In the former configuration, a first stage contains an electrically conductive adsorbent bed, potentially comprising an adsorbent placed on a conductive support of fibers, foil, or other structure. The adsorbent removes the organic from the gaseous stream as that stream passes through.