The invention discloses methods and apparatus(es) for the removal and control of pollutants such as gases and suspended particulates in the air of an enclosed space or an outdoor environment by passing the air through absorbent media. The absorbent media includes any liquid, solid or combination of liquid and solid media that is capable of absorbing a material in which it comes in contact. In one aspect of the invention, formaldehyde is removed by air sparging through a liquid such as water, optionally containing additional scavenging agents.

A liquid/gas contactor unit includes a unit housing having a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, and an air inlet and an air outlet. The liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are configured to flow liquid through the unit housing in a gravity liquid flow direction. The air inlet and the air outlet are configured to flow air through the unit housing in an air flow direction. A plurality of porous media layers are contained within the unit housing and along the air flow channel. Each porous media layer is separated from an adjacent porous media layer by an air gap. Each porous media layer has opposing major surfaces separated by a thickness. The opposing major surfaces are orthogonal to the gravity liquid flow direction.

A vapor/smoke capturing trap system featuring a smoke chamber trap for precipitating the smoke dispersed in the chamber. The chamber includes a bottom pool for containing a reservoir of a liquid solvent, and a gas filled portion in which a lower smog portion contains fog-sized droplets of the liquid solvent and into which the smoke is introduced, and an upper clear portion in which the concentration of the smoke and the droplets is decreased, respective of their concentration in the smog portion. A fog-condenser, disposed between the smog portion and the clear portion, precipitates the fog droplets of the smog portion into the pool. A fine mist generator streams a jet of fog-sized droplets of the liquid solvent mixed with smoke toward a concentration of the smoke at the smog portion. A closed loop gas circulator withdraws gas from the clear portion and recirculates the gas under pressure through the fine mist generator into the smog portion. Fresh smoke is introduced into the gas circulator via a smoke conveying conduit. A complementary smoke capturing method includes filling the reservoir, streaming the jet of fog-sized droplets toward a concentration of smoke dispersed within the lower smog portion of the gas filled portion, precipitating droplets, in the smog portion, into the pool by a fog-condenser disposed between the lower smog portion and the upper clear portion of the gas filled portion, recirculating under pressure, in a closed loop gas circulator, gas withdrawn from the clear portion into the smog portion through the fine mist generator, and conducting fresh smoke via smoke conveying conduit into the gas circulator.

The invention discloses methods and apparatus(es) for the removal and control of pollutants such as gases and suspended particulates in the air of an enclosed space or an outdoor environment by passing the air through absorbent media. The absorbent media includes any liquid, solid or combination of liquid and solid media that is capable of absorbing a material in which it comes in contact. In one aspect of the invention, formaldehyde is removed by air sparging through a liquid such as water, optionally containing additional scavenging agents.

The present invention relates to a system and method for providing a filter to prevent contamination of vacuum pumps during use with freeze dryers. The system and method comprising of a vacuum pump connected to a freeze dryer, the vacuum pump evacuating pressure from the freeze dryer; the vacuum pump connected to a coalescing filter at least partially collects water vapor and the particulate gas, whereby the particulates in the particulate gas are at least partially separated from the gas, the coalescing filter further separating the oil from the water and particulates, whereby the oil is rejuvenated for use with the oil composition; an oil control valve to control pressure in the system and maintain a level of oil in the vacuum pump; a drain valve to enable draining of impurities, and a final filter that injects air into oil exchanged between the sedimentary filter and vacuum pump.

A process is provided for treating a hydrocarbon gas stream comprising sending the hydrocarbon gas stream to a membrane unit to be separated into a residue stream and a permeate gas stream; then sending the permeate gas stream with or without undergoing compression to a solvent absorption unit to remove carbon dioxide and other impurities; and recovering a treated gas.

The present disclosure provides catalysts comprising zinc and one or more ligands that improve the hydration of carbon dioxide at a zinc metal center, including but not limited to ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and its derivatives. In certain embodiments, one or more of the ligands on the zinc is water that is replaced with carbon dioxide. In certain embodiments, the zinc catalyst coordinates an appropriate carbon dioxide adsorption solvent to reduce the activation energy for carbon dioxide hydration. Methods and apparatuses that are designed to efficiently utilize sorbents with improved sorption and desorption characteristics, such as those that include an inorganic catalyst or modified carbonic anhydrase, are also disclosed.

Disclosed are a pollutant capturer and mobilizer and method of mobilizing a polluted gaseous substance from one location towards another location and capturing one or multiple types of polluting substances, such as CO.sub.2, from an atmospheric body of polluted gaseous substance or from exhaust of vehicles, chimneys, or stacks and thereby combat the negative health, environmental, and economic impacts of the of the polluting substances on communities. Wet or dry embodiments of the pollutant capturer and mobilizer utilize wet or dry pollutant capturing components, respectively, to capture one or multiple types of polluting substances from a body of polluted gaseous substance. Flow-establishing devices can be used to set the body of polluted gaseous substance in motion through the pollutant capturing component. The pollutant capturer and mobilizer may also be mounted on any type of vehicle, with or without using flow-establishing devices.

The invention pertains to processes for separating gases, acid gas, hydrocarbons, air gases, or combinations thereof. The processes may employ using a liquid phase cloud point with or without subsequent liquid-liquid separation. In some embodiments membranes can be employed with reverse osmosis to regenerate a solvent and/or an antisolvent. In some embodiments thermal switching phase changes may be employed during absorption or desorption to facilitate separation.

In one aspect, the invention provides a method for the capture of at least one acid gas in a composition, the release of said gas from said composition, and the subsequent regeneration of said composition for re-use, said method comprising performing, in order, the steps of: (a) capturing the at least one acid gas by contacting said at least one gas with a capture composition comprising at least one salt of a carboxylic acid and at least one water-miscible non-aqueous solvent; (b) releasing said at least one acid gas by adding at least one protic solvent or agent to said composition; and (c) regenerating the capture composition by partial or complete removal of said added protic solvent or agent from said composition. Optionally, said capture composition comprising at least one salt of a carboxylic acid and at least one water-miscible non-aqueous solvent additionally comprises water or another protic solvent. In another aspect, the invention envisages a composition which additionally comprises at least one protic solvent or agent and release of the at least one acid gas is achieved solely by subjecting the composition to the application of heat or stripping with a stream of air. The method is typically applied to the capture and subsequent release of carbon dioxide, and offers a convenient and simple process which uses inexpensive consumables and offers significant advantages over the methods of the prior art.