UltraScrub Controls Sulfuric Acid Fume
from Dry Charge Formation Operations,
Offers the Highest Collection Efficiencies
at All Loading Levels

A Tri-Mer technology for controlling sulfuric acid fume from dry charge formation operations
offers the highest collection efficiencies possible at all loading levels.  (View a brochure of a
Horizontal Crossflow UltraScrub Model in Acrobat pdf file format.)  Developed for East Penn-Deka,
(Lyon Station, PA), the system relies on mechanical separation, and does not use chemicals.

Development began in 1999, when new performance standards were set by East Penn.
These goals included operation "24/7" with zero shutdown, and collection efficiency greater
than 99%. In addition, the company initiated a proactive air emissions policy.

On advice from its engineering firm, Tate Engineering, (Aston, PA), East Penn consulted Tri-Mer,
whose Fan/Separator, Crossflow fume scrubber and Whirl Wet lead oxide collector systems already
had solid track records within battery forming.  What emerged was a hybrid, scaleable technology
that incorporated key features from those systems.

This acid fume scrubber technology has since been commercialized by Tri-Mer under the
tradename UltraScrub.  At East Penn, the first phase of a 3-phase program will employ six
UltraScrub units, installed side-by-side. Each has its own stack and fan, but is ducted to a
single 9' diameter plenum.  This configuration allows any unit to be shut down for annual
maintenance or other purposes and restarted seamlessly.  Five units operate continuously,
one is a maintenance back-up.  The acid fume scrubber units, which are UV-stabilized
polypropylene, each have a capacity of 32,000 cfm.

UltraScrub units have four stages, arranged as a series of cartridges.  The first stage is
a proprietary rigid tube packing, a media first proved on Tri-Mer's Fan Separator.  The
Fan / Separator is a low energy, low water use acid scrubber developed for the control of
sulfuric hydrochloric, hydrofluoric and nitric acids.  Its packing media is designed to perform
at 99%+ efficiency on sulfuric acid fume at all loading levels.  Engineered for battery forming
mist, it sacrificially prefilters the air prior to the scrubber section.  There is no visual carryover
from stage one forward.

Mists next contact a stage containing 1" Tri-Packs "random-dump" packing media.  This media
prevents the formation of dry spots and compression interlock, two problems common to packing
media that cause liquid and air to channel, thereby reducing system efficiency.  Tri-Packs develops
a very low static pressure per foot of depth, so both tower size and the amount of scrubbing liquid
can be minimized.

The third stage is an interwoven polypropylene Kimre pad; stage four is a rigid chevron blade
mist eliminator which removes droplets from the system.  The dual mist eliminator developed by
Tri-Mer has a minimum performance requirement of 99% on 2 micron droplets.  The captured
sulfuric acid mists are sent with other process wastewaters to the company's waste treatment plant.

The UltraScrub acid fume scrubber systems are designed to operate "dry" at least 99% of the time. 
Each stage has an independent magnehelic gage to indicate when cleaning is necessary.  To
prevent the corrosion of the fan from exposure to sulfuric acid mists, the fan is installed at the back
end of the scrubber; any fume drawn through is cleaned and exhausted before contact.

The order to design, build and install the first three UltraScrub units, along with plenums, fans
and stacks, was fast-track: a major contract that held East Penn to firm delivery dates kept lead
time to just 65 days.

All of the units operate as engineered.  Additional UltraScrub acid fume scrubber units will be
installed as part of the second and third stages of the project.* East Penn is a leading
manufacturer of lead-acid batteries for the automotive, telecommunications, marine,
commercial, industrial and stationary market.

Have a potential application? Contact Tri-Mer

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Tri-Mer Corporation
1400 Monroe Street • P.O. Box 730 • Owosso, MI  48867; USA
Phone:  (989) 723-7838 • Fax:  (989) 723-7844
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