Light end hydrocarbons emitted by hot asphalt are shock-cooled when they contact the atmosphere. This generates a visible plume, composed predominately of sub-micron liquid mist particles. Appearing as a "blue smoke,” this plume can be emitted from asphalt loading stations and storage tank vents, particularly when the tank is being filled. Large installations such as asphalt saturators also generate “blue smoke” during operations when hot asphalt is used to impregnate a paper felt.
Plumes from these processes can be an environmental concern which may cause unpleasant odors, coat nearby equipment or work areas, escape into the atmosphere, and/or become health hazards if inhaled. These small organic mist particles are typically removed from the vapor stream by using FLEXIFIBER® type BD mist eliminators. These mist eliminators can eliminate the asphalt mist plume and possibly reduce the odor caused by mercaptans in the vapor stream.
The FLEXIFIBER® mist eliminator can be incorporated into a skid-mounted package complete with vessel, fan, motor, damper and prefilter (if required). The package is custom-designed for easy installation.