Industrial Scrubbers

Wet Scrubbers, Dry Scrubbers, and Electrostatic

Precipitators
Scrubbers are air pollution control devices that use liquid to remove particulate matter or
gases from an industrial exhaust or flue gas stream. This atomized liquid (typically
water) entrains particles and pollutant gases in order to effectively wash them out of the
gas flow.

In comparison to other air pollution control devices, scrubbers are very multidisciplinary,
with the ability to remove solids, mists, and gases simultaneously while also providing
cooling. They are also capable of handling explosive and flammable gases safely.
However, scrubbers suffer from high levels of corrosion and produce slurry waste
streams which are less convenient for recycling and disposal.

Wet Industrial Scrubbers

One of the most basic of the various industrial scrubbers is the wet industrial scrubber.
In its most basic form, water is encapsulated in a metal or composite container.
Contaminated gas is passed through the water, and the water absorbs the
contaminates. Other liquids can be used to effectively remove varied contaminates.
These liquids differ in the chemical composition and the overall charge. These liquids
can be anything from highly positively or negatively charged to non-charged. Because
pollutants can differ in their charge, scrubbers can be packed with a liquid that will bind
most effectively to remove the contaminate from the gas.

The gas exiting the scrubber is thus cleaner. Developments in wet scrubbers have
allowed for increased efficiency in pollutant removal. One of the major developments
has been to maximize the total surface of the liquid with which the polluted gas
associates. More surface area means that more of the contaminates can be pulled out
of the gas. Another development in scrubbers has been increasing the mixture of the
gas with the scrubber fluid. These aspirators agitate the solution and increase the
mixing of the polluted gas and the liquid.

The wet scrubber differs from the other different types of industrial scrubbers because
the liquid-gas association increases the moisture level of the gas that is being expelled
from the scrubber. The increased moisture in the gas will create a visible cloud exiting
the scrubber.