Adsorbent materials are disclosed, along with filter elements containing the adsorbent materials methods of using adsorbents to remove siloxane contaminants from a gas stream. The method includes providing an adsorbent material that has been washed with an acid and passing a gas through the adsorbent material so as to reduce siloxane levels in the gas. A filter element for reducing siloxane levels in a gas includes a first adsorbent material, the first adsorbent material comprising an acid-washed adsorbent; and a second adsorbent material, the second adsorbent material comprising an acid-impregnated adsorbent.

A plasma abatement process for abating effluent containing compounds from a processing chamber is described. A plasma abatement process takes gaseous foreline effluent from a processing chamber, such as a deposition chamber, and reacts the effluent within a plasma chamber placed in the foreline path. The plasma dissociates the compounds within the effluent, converting the effluent into more benign compounds. Abating reagents may assist in the abating of the compounds. The abatement process may be a volatizing or a condensing abatement process. Representative volatilizing abating reagents include, for example, CH.sub.4, H.sub.2O, H.sub.2, NF.sub.3, SF.sub.6, F.sub.2, HCl, HF, Cl.sub.2, and HBr. Representative condensing abating reagents include, for example, H.sub.2, H.sub.2O, O.sub.2, N.sub.2, O.sub.3, CO, CO.sub.2, NH.sub.3, N.sub.2O, CH.sub.4, and combinations thereof.

Provided are a reusable polymeric material for removing siloxane compounds in biogas, a method for removing siloxane using the same, and an apparatus therefor, and more particularly, a polyacrylate-based polymer absorbent for removing siloxane compounds in biogas and a method for removing siloxane compounds in biogas. The method for removing siloxane compounds in biogas includes (a) providing the biogas, and b) absorbing the siloxane compounds in a polymer absorbent by passing the biogas through the polymer absorbent according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

An air separation system includes an air separation module configured to receive feed air and separate the feed air into nitrogen-enriched air and oxygen-enriched air, a nitrogen-enriched air line for transporting the nitrogen-enriched air from the air separation module to a fuel tank for inerting, an oxygen sensing line connected to the nitrogen-enriched air line, a gas adsorption filter located in the oxygen sensing line, and an oxygen sensor downstream of the gas adsorption filter in the oxygen sensing line.

A system to abate an emission from a first semiconductor process is disclosed. The system includes an abatement apparatus, such as a gas scrubber, to remove hazardous and toxic gas species from the emission. The abatement apparatus may combust the emission to remove these gas species using a fuel and oxidant. The system includes a fuel assembly fluidly coupled to the abatement apparatus which transmits the fuel from at least one source through the abatement apparatus. The fuel assembly may include a supply tank which contains a volume of fuel, a recovery apparatus which recovers and contains a recovery volume of fuel from a second semiconductor process, and a mass flow controller which may transmit fuel from at least one of the supply tank and the recovery apparatus through the abatement apparatus.

The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for the combustive abatement of waste gas formed during the manufacture of semiconductor wafers. In particular, the systems described herein are capable of combusting air-polluting perfluorocarbons, including those having high greenhouse gas indexes such as hexafluoroethane (C.sub.2F.sub.6) and tetrafluoromethane (CF.sub.4), as well as particulate-forming silicon dioxide precursors, such as silane (SiH.sub.4) and tetraethoxysilane (Si(OC.sub.2H.sub.5).sub.4, abbreviated TEOS), with greater efficiency and lower energy usage than prior abatement systems. More particularly, and in one preferred embodiment, the present disclosure is directed to a waste gas abatement system that utilizes a combination of non-combustible and combustible gases (or gas mixtures) for thermal combustion, which are directed through multiple permeable interior surfaces of a reaction chamber, efficiently combusting waste gas and preventing undesirable accumulation of solid particulate matter on the chamber surfaces.

A method for providing upgraded biogas includes feeding a stream of biogas into a biogas upgrading system in order to remove carbon dioxide from the stream of biogas. The biogas upgrading system, which may be based on absorption, adsorption, membrane permeation, and/or cryogenics, provides a stream of upgraded biogas and a tail gas stream. The tail gas stream, which may be CO.sub.2-rich, is enriched with natural gas so that it is combustible in medium-BTU equipment. The upgraded biogas is used for transportation use and/or the generation of fuel credits. Accordingly, both the tail gas and the upgraded biogas are used effectively and at lower cost.

An air separation system includes an air separation module configured to receive feed air and separate the feed air into nitrogen-enriched air and oxygen-enriched air, a nitrogen-enriched air line for transporting the nitrogen-enriched air from the air separation module to a fuel tank for inerting, an oxygen sensing line connected to the nitrogen-enriched air line, a gas adsorption filter located in the oxygen sensing line, and an oxygen sensor downstream of the gas adsorption filter in the oxygen sensing line.

An air intake system for directing intake air to an internal combustion engine of a machine is disclosed. The air intake system may comprise an air compressor configured to increase a pressure of the intake air, and a membrane unit downstream of the air compressor and having a membrane with selectivity for siloxanes. The membrane may have a first side and a second side, and the first side may be exposed to a higher pressure than the second side when the air compressor is operating. The membrane may be configured to separate the intake air into a permeate that traverses the membrane from the first side to the second side, and a retenate that remains on the first side. The permeate may have a higher siloxane content than the retenate. The retenate may be directed to the internal combustion engine for combustion.

The present invention provides processes for filtering undesired chemicals in streams of contaminated air for supply to confined areas. The processes provide (1) contacting air with a filter comprising by volume from about 5% to about 95% impregnated zirconium hydroxide, from about 5% to about 95% activated impregnated carbon, and optionally, up to about 50% ammonia removal material; and (2) supplying the contacted air to a confined area.