VOC Thermal Destruction

VOC thermal destruction and flue gas treatment

ERG thermal oxidation systems provide high‑efficiency destruction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), delivering reliable operation and extremely high treatment efficiency for a wide range of process gases. Where VOC streams are halogenated, sulphonated or contaminated with heavy metals or inorganic particulates, ERG can also supply integrated flue gas treatment packages, creating complete VOC abatement and gas cleaning systems.

VOC destruction using thermal oxidation

Thermal oxidation is an excellent method of destroying VOCs, offering stable performance, high destruction removal efficiency and compliance with Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) requirements. ERG has experience in the thermal treatment of waste solvents, fumes from solvent and oil storage and other VOC‑laden gas streams, and can design systems that are fully IED compliant for the relevant parameters.

Thermal oxidation can be combined with energy recovery – for example via hot air, hot water, thermal oil or steam – to minimise operating costs and improve overall plant energy efficiency. Where required, downstream flue gas treatment stages can be incorporated for acid gas, particulate or heavy metal control.

Example VOC thermal destruction projects

Recent ERG projects include:

Carbon blanket production furnaces – treatment of process gas from continuous and batch furnaces producing carbon blanket for thermal and electrical insulation manufacture. ERG’s thermal oxidiser included a complex inlet gas manifold allowing operation with gas streams from the furnaces in numerous different operating modes. The oxidiser treated nitrogen‑rich process gas streams heavily contaminated with benzene, naphthalene and acetylene, achieving VOC emissions of <20 mg/Nm³ TOC (dry, STP, 3% O₂).
Oxidiser life‑extension FEED project – Front End Engineering Design (FEED) to upgrade an existing Beverley Environmental oxidiser originally supplied in the 1980s. By updating the control system, burner and process gas fans to meet new system requirements, the operating life of the original oxidiser was extended, maximising the client’s asset value and avoiding full replacement.

These examples illustrate how ERG can deliver both new‑build thermal oxidisers and upgrades to existing assets, tailored to specific VOC compositions, flowrates and regulatory requirements.

Contact ERG’s sales team to discuss your VOC thermal destruction duty or explore options for upgrading an existing oxidiser.