Kinetics studies on the removal of Methyl ethyl ketone using cornstack based biofilter

Area of Science:

• Environmental Engineering
• Biotechnology
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) is a volatile organic compound (VOC) emitted from various industrial processes.
• Biofiltration is a promising technology for treating VOCs in gas phase.
• Cornstack material offers a sustainable and cost-effective medium for biofilter development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the performance of a cornstack-based biofilter for methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) removal.
• To investigate the impact of varying operating conditions on MEK removal efficiency and elimination capacity.
• To compare experimental data with the Ottengraf-van den Oever model for process optimization.

Main Methods:

• A lab-scale biofilter using cornstack as packing material was inoculated with a mixed microbial culture.
• Experiments were conducted under different gas flow rates (0.03-0.12 m³h⁻¹) and initial MEK concentrations (0.2-1.2 g m⁻³).
• Performance was assessed by measuring MEK removal efficiency and elimination capacity (EC).

Main Results:

• The biofilter achieved a maximum elimination capacity (EC) of 35 g m⁻³h⁻¹ at an inlet loading rate of 60 g m⁻³h⁻¹.
• A high removal efficiency of 95% was observed under optimal conditions.
• Dominant presence of filamentous fungi in the biofilm was suggested as a reason for high performance.

Conclusions:

• Cornstack-based biofilters are effective for gas-phase MEK removal.
• The Ottengraf-van den Oever model can be used to estimate critical parameters like inlet concentration, load, and biofilm thickness.
• This biofiltration system shows potential for sustainable and efficient industrial VOC abatement.