Exeon’s scrubX™ wet scrubber works by bringing contaminated industrial air into direct contact with a specially formulated scrubbing liquid. This allows gases, odours, chemical fumes and certain particulates to be absorbed, neutralised or captured before the treated air is discharged.
The system uses a packed tower design to maximise contact between the polluted air and the scrubbing solution. Automated chemical dosing, liquid recirculation and mist elimination then help maintain effective treatment while minimising the amount of moisture carried into the discharged air.
Wet scrubbing can be used to treat contaminants including ammonia, hydrogen sulphide, acidic gases and other industrial emissions where liquid-based treatment is appropriate.
How Does Contaminated Air Enter the Scrubber?
Contaminated air is first captured from the building, tank, vessel or industrial process using an extraction system.
The air enters at the bottom of the scrubX™ treatment tower and travels upwards through the packed column. At the same time, scrubbing liquid is pumped to the top of the tower and flows downwards across the packing media.
This counter-flow arrangement creates intensive contact between the gas and liquid phases, providing the conditions needed for pollutants to transfer from the contaminated air into the scrubbing solution.
The extraction and treatment stages form part of the wider approach used in Exeon’s industrial odour and emission control systems.
What Does the Packing Media Do?
Packing media is used to create a large contact surface between the polluted air and the scrubbing liquid.
Rather than air simply passing through an empty tower, the packing spreads the liquid over a much greater surface area. As the air moves upwards through the media, contaminants have more opportunity to interact with the liquid flowing in the opposite direction.
Depending on the pollutant and chemistry being used, contaminants may dissolve into the liquid, become neutralised or undergo a chemical reaction.
This is particularly useful for gases such as ammonia and hydrogen sulphide, although the scrubbing chemistry must always be selected around the specific emissions being treated.
How Is the Scrubbing Liquid Controlled?
The scrubbing solution is collected and recirculated through the system rather than being used once and immediately discarded.
Automated monitoring helps maintain the required chemical conditions. Reagent can be added through a dosing pump when required, with parameters such as pH used to control the treatment process.
Fresh make-up liquid can also be introduced, while spent solution can be removed through a controlled blowdown or purge arrangement.
This automated approach helps the scrubber maintain consistent treatment even as operating conditions change.
What Is the Mist Eliminator For?
Once contaminants have been removed, the treated air passes through a mist eliminator before discharge.
The mist eliminator captures liquid droplets that remain suspended in the cleaned gas stream. These droplets are separated from the air and allowed to drain back into the system, helping minimise liquid carryover through the exhaust.
The treated air can then be discharged safely through the extraction system.
Can scrubX™ Work with Other Treatment Technologies?
Yes. Wet scrubbing can be used independently or as part of a multi-stage treatment process.
For example, Exeon has installed a combined scrubX™ and hi-flo™ system for tank and process extraction, where wet scrubbing and activated carbon treatment were incorporated into a compact packaged solution.
Where final polishing is required, hi-flo™ activated carbon filtration can remove residual odours after the scrubber. Alternatively, airo-flo™ biological filtration may suit applications dominated by biodegradable contaminants.
By combining controlled airflow, packed-tower contact, recirculating scrubbing liquid and automated chemical dosing, scrubX™ provides a compact and controllable method of treating demanding industrial air emissions.
Contact Exeon today to arrange a site consultation or request a tailored proposal. Our technical team will assess your airflow volumes and contaminant profile to design a system that delivers consistent emission control.