Scrubbers

GEA supplies scrubbers for an efficient multi-pollutant cleaning of process-and-exhaust gases for various applications.

Scrubbers

Scrubbers are gas/liquid/solid contactors that proportion large interfacial surface areas and a high degree of turbulence between the corresponding phases, allowing for an efficient removal of particulates from gas streams, noxious substances absorption and gas cooling.

GEA is the inventor of global standard solutions like the “Bischoff–scrubber” for blast furnaces or the “Wiegand-scrubber” for small to midsize industrial exhaust streams.

GEA offers tailor-made solutions – from laboratory to full process scale, from thermoplastic or fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) materials to high-alloy stainless steels – in order to provide, both technically and economically, optimal solutions for our customers. GEA offers clean air solutions while keeping the CAPEX/OPEX low.

Wet scrubbing units use a liquid scrubbing medium. Depending on the application, either water, hydrocarbons, diluted acids, caustic soda or other liquids.

The type of scrubber and the applied scrubbing medium depend on the process-specific requirements and on the emission´s limits that shall be complied with. The below table gives an overview of GEA´s scrubber portfolio, the typical cases on which scrubbers are used and their specific advantages:

Process / Unit Operation	Technology	Typical Applications	Gas flow rate / Application size	Cooling Performance	Particle Separation Efficiency	Absorption Efficiency	Energy Demand
Gas cooling	Hot gas quench system	Flue Gas Treatment after Incineration	small to medium	+++	+	++	o
	Quench Tower	Non Ferrous- / Chemical Industry	medium to large	+++	+	+	+
	Absorption Columns	various	all	+	o	++	++
Particle Separation	Spray Tower	Lime Scrubber	medium to large	+	o	+	+
	Jet Scrubber	Chemical Industry	small to medium	++	+	++	o
	Venturi Scrubber	Chemical Industry	small to medium	+	++	+	+
	Anular Gap Scrubber	Iron & Steel Industry	medium to large	+	+++	+++	+
	Radial Flow Scrubber	Non Ferrous Industry	medium to large	+++	+++	++	+
	Linear Flow Scrubber	Non Ferrous Industry	medium to large	+++	+++	++	++
	Wet Electrostatic Precipitator	I&S/NF/Chemical Industry	medium to large	+	+++	+	+
	Candle Filters	Chemical Industry	small to medium	o	+++	+	+
Gas Purification by absorption of gaseous components	Spray Tower	Iron & Steel-/ Non Ferrous- / Chemical Industry	medium to large	++	+	+++	+
	Jet Scrubber	Chemical/Petrochemical and Pharma	small to medium	++	++	++	o
	Annular Gap Scrubber	Iron & Steel Industry	medium to large	+	+++	+++	+
	Absorption Columns	various	all	+	++	++	++

Some of the most common applications for wet scrubbers are:

Flue gas cleaning

Flue gases from combustion, chemical production or recycling processes are treated in multi-stage gas cleaning processes. By using quenching and/or absorption and concentration stages, pollutants such as halogens and their hydrogenated derivatives, sulfur compounds, ammonia and many more can be removed from the gas and recycled into the production process.

Process gas cleaning

Not only flue gases but also process gases in chemical production processes can be treated to recycle solvents and reduce the need for solvent replenishment.

Gas Treatment Lines for various industries

GEA´s wet scrubber systems are widely applied in the industry, very often in the non-ferrous metallurgy, chemical, petrochemical and pharmaceutical industry, iron & steel production, cement and glass manufacturing.

Compact gas scrubbers

GEA-design compact gas scrubbers are made for the treatment of emissions in laboratories and pilot and production plants in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry. They are in use for cooling gases, condensing vapors, absorbing pollutants, separating dust and aerosols and conducting in-situ chemical reactions.