What is Siloxane Removal?

Siloxane removal is removing trace contaminants from biogas so it can be reused rather than discarded.

The bio-energy field is growing rapidly. Cities and waste material workers are being mandated more often by governments to make use of biogas,  a waste product of sewage plants and solid waste dumps. The main component of biogas is methane, a gas that is harmful to the environment and typically burned off as it’s produced. The newly developing industry of siloxane removal is removing trace contaminants from biogas so it can be reused rather than being discarded. The exothermic nature of methane combustion makes biogas a good candidate for an energy source. Gas turbines have been put in place at numerous waste material refining sites in order to convert biogas to clean energy.

Siloxanes are one of the trace contaminants that need to be removed from biogas in order for it to be considered a viable energy source. During the combustion of siloxane-contaminated biogas, siloxanes are converted to microcrystalline solids, which can build up in heat exchangers and combustion surface areas in gas turbines, resulting in damage to the machinery. As a result, the producers of the gas turbines and reciprocating engines are calling for lower levels of siloxanes in combustion gas in order to ensure the longevity of their products. Micro turbines and catalyst breakdowns have become industry-wide focuses regarding siloxanes.

How Can Siloxane be Removed?

Quite a few adsorbents have been considered for use in siloxane removal. For some time, it was thought that activated carbon was the best solution. However, when it came to the real-life use of activated carbon, several drawbacks were observed. For example, activated carbon is flammable. This fact, along with the relatively small adsorption capacity of activated carbon made it a poor choice for this application. Interra Global’s proprietary blend of adsorbents, on the other hand, which is specifically crafted for siloxane removal, is a much better solution to this growing issue.