Activated Carbon For Landfill Gas LFG Heycarbons Manufacturer From China

Coal-based pelletized activated carbon can be used to treat landfill gas and remove H₂S, siloxanes, and VOCs. It cann reduce environmental pollution and health hazards, and achieve energy recycling.

What is Landfill Gas LFG?

Landfill Gas (LFG) refers to a mixed gas produced by anaerobic decomposition of domestic waste in landfills. The main components are methane (CH₄, accounting for 40%~60%) and carbon dioxide (CO₂, accounting for 30%~40%), and the rest are small amounts of nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other trace gases.

Hydrogen sulfide H2S, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and odorous substances (thiols, ammonia, etc.) will cause air pollution and endanger the health of landfill workers and nearby residents.

It also contains harmful organosilicon compounds (siloxanes). If they are directly incinerated without treatment, they will form deposits in the cogeneration system.

After being collected and processed, landfill waste can reduce environmental pollution and harm to health. At the same time, it can also be used for energy generation, natural gas purification, combustion for heating, production of chemical raw materials, etc., to achieve energy recycling.

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Tel: +86 180 3788 5195

Activated Carbon in Treating Landfill Gas LFG Main Function

Activated carbon is used to treat landfill gas to remove sulfides, VOCs and siloxanes.

Desulfurization: remove H₂S (corrosive equipment) and organic sulfur (such as methyl mercaptan). H₂S is highly toxic and has a foul odor. Low concentrations can cause headaches and nausea, while high concentrations can be fatal.
Adsorption of VOCs: reduce toxic volatile organic compounds such as benzene and toluene. Long-term exposure increases cancer risk.
Adsorption of HCl: If the HCl concentration in the landfill gas is low or high-concentration HCl needs to be deeply purified after being treated with NaOH wet scrubbing, activated carbon can be used as a supplementary measure. Other pollutants (such as VOCs and sulfides) can also be removed at the same time.
Removal of siloxane: Siloxane generates SiO₂ after combustion, which can damage gas turbine blades.

For more information on siloxane removal, you can read another article from Heycarbons:

Activated Carbon For Siloxane Removal

E-mail: info@heycarbons.com

Tel: +86 180 3788 5195

How to Use Activated Carbon for Landfill Gas LFG Treatment?

Landfill gas pretreatment

Water removal
Remove moisture through a condenser or cyclone separator (high humidity will reduce the adsorption efficiency of activated carbon).

Dust removal
Filter particulate matter (such as dust) to avoid clogging the pores of activated carbon.

Activated carbon adsorption system

Adsorption tower design

Typically, two towers are connected in series or in parallel (one tower for adsorption and the other for regeneration) to ensure continuous operation.
The tower is filled with impregnated activated carbon (such as KOH or iodide impregnation to enhance desulfurization capacity).

Adsorption process

Landfill gas enters from the bottom of the tower and flows through the activated carbon bed (the flow rate is generally controlled at 0.1~0.3 m/s).
H₂S is oxidized to elemental sulfur or sulfate and adsorbed in the pores;
Siloxanes and VOCs are captured by physical adsorption.

Adsorption capacity
Typical activated carbon has an adsorption capacity of 5%~15% (weight ratio) for H₂S and needs to be replaced or regenerated regularly.

Activated carbon regeneration

Thermal regeneration method

Heat the saturated activated carbon to 300~500℃ (pass inert gas or water vapor) to release the adsorbent.
After regeneration, the activated carbon can recover 70%~90% of its performance, but it needs to be replaced after multiple regenerations.

Chemical cleaning
The activated carbon adsorbed with H₂S is cleaned with alkaline solution (such as NaOH) to generate Na₂S solution.

Subsequent treatment

Tail gas treatment
The waste gas released during the regeneration process needs to be treated by combustion or secondary adsorption (to avoid secondary pollution).

Sulfur recovery
Sulfur or sulfuric acid is recovered from the regeneration waste gas to achieve resource utilization.

E-mail: info@heycarbons.com

Tel: +86 180 3788 5195

Heycarbons Best Activated Carbon For Landfill Gas LFG Treatment

Heycarbons recommends using impregnated anthracite pelletized activated carbon for H2S and siloxane removal from landfill gas. The specific product specifications are as follows:

Impregnation: KOH, NaOH, KI, Fe₂O₃,CuO, etc. for your choice
Diameter: 4mm
CTC 50-80 (can be customized)
Moisture≤ 8%
Ash≤ 10%

Impregnated Activated Carbon

Heycarbons Impregnated Activated Carbon for Landfill Gas Chemical Reactions

Different impregnants react differently with H₂S. Take MgO impregnated activated carbon as an example:

The impregnant MgO reacts chemically with H₂S, converting it into magnesium sulfide (MgS) and water, thereby removing H₂S. The chemical reaction formula is as follows:

H₂S+MgO→MgS+H₂O

Magnesium sulfide MgS can undergo regeneration reaction in an aerobic environment:

2MgS+O₂→2MgO+2S

Compared with other types of activated carbon, MgO impregnated columnar activated carbon is economical and affordable. Moreover, Heycarbons factory has mature technology for producing MgO impregnated columnar activated carbon, which is the preferred choice of many customers.

The impregnation amount of MgO solution can be adjusted according to customer requirements.

If you want to know how other impregnants such as KOH, NaOH, KI, Fe₂O3, CuO react with H₂S, you can click below to read another article that can answer your questions.

Activated Carbon For Biogas H2S Removal-Heycarbons

E-mail: info@heycarbons.com

Tel: +86 180 3788 5195

Custom Heycarbons Activated Carbon For Landfill Gas LFG

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Custom Heycarbons Activated Carbon For Landfill Gas LFG

Heycarbons has proudly served the activated carbon industry with high-quality products since 2005, Heycarbons can customize your coal activated carbon for your project.