Air pollution tool for carbon fibre recycling from Anguil

Today, the manufacturing of carbon fiber is heavily regulated by the environmental community and producers are continually looking to reduce energy demands of this heat intensive process.  The oxidation and carbonization furnaces and industrial ovens have the potential to emit hydrogen cyanide (HCN), ammonia (NH3) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Some of these pollutants are immediately dangerous to human health, even in very small quantities.  Other pollutants of concern for carbon fiber producers include Greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxide (NOX).  These emissions not only contribute to global warming but also have a direct correlation with the manufacturer's consumption of energy.

A major university has opened a new, state of-the-art facility dedicated to the reuse of this valuable resource.

In conjunction with industry partners, they have developed a pilot scale carbon fiber recycling plant.  The team set out to develop and commercialize recycled fiber that maintains the material strength at a cost-savings to manufacturers using carbon fiber in their products.  The result was a lightweight, low cost material made from recycled carbon fiber that gives users a competitive advantage over virgin carbon fiber.

The team knew that an air pollution control device would be necessary to meet the local emission requirements for hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and ammonia (NH3).  They also realized that there was the potential to reuse some of the energy released during the combustion of these carbon fiber processing emissions.

Anguil Environmental Systems (Anguil) was selected to provide the air pollution control system.  Their experience with similar applications and ability to make a custom designed system to meet the unique needs of this pilot-scale recycling facility were the primary determining factors.  Anguil manufactured, installed and recently brought online a Thermal Recuperative Oxidizer with dual heat recovery.

A stainless-steel heat exchanger within the oxidizer reduces the amount of supplemental fuel required to bring the process emissions up to combustion temperatures.  In addition, a secondary heat recovery system downstream of the oxidizer captures nearly all of the remaining heat.  This is enough energy to preheat the air for the process equipment.  When in operation, no external heating source is required to fuel the Anguil oxidizer or carbon fiber oven, making the entire system self-sustaining.  The Anguil oxidizer has been achieving over 99% destruction rate efficiency.      

Anguil