Bluestar New Materials — Fixed VOCs Adsorption Pretreatment Using Honeycomb Activated Carbon

Bluestar New Materials Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China National Bluestar (Group) Co., Ltd., operates a large-scale aramid fiber production facility in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. Aramid fibers, widely used in aerospace, defense, and high-performance industrial applications, require precision synthesis involving resin systems, high-temperature curing, and solvent processing steps. These operations inevitably generate volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including aromatic hydrocarbons, ketones, and amines, which must be controlled in compliance with China's national emission standards (GB 31572-2015 and GB 16297-1996).

To ensure environmental compliance and workplace safety, Bluestar integrated a fixed adsorption pretreatment system using honeycomb activated carbon for VOC capture prior to downstream catalytic oxidation.

The selected solution employed coal-based honeycomb activated carbon blocks with the following key specifications:

These sorbents were installed in modular steel frames with multi-layer parallel configurations, allowing for efficient contact between the contaminated airflow and adsorbent surface. The system was designed for continuous adsorption operation with routine replacement based on breakthrough concentration thresholds.

Since commissioning, the system has demonstrated high adsorption efficiency across a range of VOC species with typical removal efficiencies exceeding 90% prior to regeneration or disposal. Operational benefits include:

• Low Pressure Drop: Optimized flow design through honeycomb geometry ensures system efficiency.
• Stable Adsorption Capacity: Maintained across multiple working shifts and process fluctuations.
• Ease of Maintenance: Modular configuration facilitates sorbent replacement without full system shutdown.
• Compliance Assurance: Emissions consistently within Class I zone limits defined by GB 16297-1996.

The deployment of honeycomb activated carbon for VOC pretreatment in Bluestar's aramid fiber production line represents an effective, scalable solution for managing high-load organic emissions. By integrating fixed adsorption technology upstream of catalytic oxidation, the facility achieves both regulatory compliance and operational resilience, supporting the sustainable development of high-performance chemical manufacturing in China.