Modelling, design and commissioning of a sustainable process for VOCs recovery from spray paint booths

Abstract Air emissions from surface coating operations result from the evaporation of the organic solvents in the coatings and consist primarily of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Aim of this paper is to present an innovative and sustainable process based on VOC absorption. An absorption tower is fed on the top by oil which efficiently absorbs at low temperature the VOCs contained by the off-gas which enters the tower at its bottom. Saturated oil from the column is then stripped at high temperature in a vacuum system which condenses VOCs at a temperature slightly below the ambient temperature. Stripped oil is then recycled to the absorption tower. The paper will provide a complete description of an industrial site located in Italy including modeling, design, commissioning, industrial operating conditions and economic evaluations.