Source: RESEARCHANDMARKETS

China is known as the world’s engine for manufacturing where almost every kind of product starting from heavy engineering to a small needle is manufactured. With these capabilities Chinese economy has certainly flourished over the years but has also resulted in some long term negative effects. One such effect has been increasing air pollution which has increased the number of patients suffering from air borne diseases, these developments has raised alarms among Chinese authorities which has started spreading awareness about harmful effects of air pollution and how to control it. One of the best known solutions for air pollution control is the emergence of air purifiers in Chinese households. The increasing transportation and industrialization activities are resulting in degradation of air quality. The increasing air pollution and the need to combat its ill effects are significantly contributing to the demand for air purifiers in China.

According to “China Air Purifier Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2018”, the market for air purifiers in China is expected to grow at the compounded annual growth rate of around 34% during 2013-2018. The industrial and commercial segments are likely to remain the major drivers for the industry; however the share of residential sector is set to rise. The air purifier’s available in the Chinese market are based on HEPA, Activated Carbon, Electrostatic Precipitators and Ozone based technologies. The Northern and Eastern regions of China are the largest contributors of environmental pollution. Beijing, and Shanghai are the country’s most populous cities accounting for excessive pollution. These metropolitan cities of China are covered with thick smog, which makes the environment extremely unhealthy. 

“China Air Purifier Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2018” includes the following particulars:

- Global Air Purifier Market Size & Forecast
- China Air Purifier Market Size, Market Share and Forecast
- Segmental Analysis – HEPA, Ozone, Activated Carbon Filters, etc.
- Market Trends & Opportunities
- Competitive Landscape & Strategic Recommendations

Why You Should Buy This Report

- To gain an in-depth understanding of air purifiers market in China
- To identify the on-going trends and anticipated growth in the coming years
- To help industry consultants, air purifier manufacturers and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies
- To obtain research based business decision and add weight to presentations and marketing materials
- To gain competitive knowledge of leading players
- To avail 10% customization in the report without any extra charges and get the research data or trends added in the report as per the buyer’s specific needs

Report Methodology

The information contained in this report is based upon both primary and secondary sources. Primary research included interviews with air purifier manufacturers & channel partners. Secondary research included an exhaustive search of relevant publications like newspapers, company annual reports and proprietary databases.

Source: Industry Today

New research published in the most recent editions of The Lancet and The Lancet Oncology journals has once again underscored the negative health effects of long-term and short-term exposure to air pollution, especially pollutants from traffic exhaust fumes in urban environments. Two studies link air pollution to a higher risk of lung cancer and now even heart failure.

The first study, covering nine European countries, states that air pollution increases the risk of lung cancer even at levels lower than those recommended by the European Union, which are currently 25 micrograms per cubic metre of air for PM2.5 particles and 40 micrograms per m3 for PM10. It looked at the effect of long-term exposure to nitrogen oxides and PM2.5 and PM10 particulate matter. The researchers found that for every increase of five micrograms per cubic metre of PM2.5 pollution, the risk of lung cancer rose by 18%. For every increase of 10 micrograms per cubic metre in PM10 pollution, the risk increased by 22%.

The second study concluded that air pollution was harmful for people with failing hearts. The research looked at 35 studies with data on thousands of heart patients in 12 countries, including the U.K., the U.S. and China. While air pollution has been linked to heart attacks, the new research now ties it to heart failure - a potential consequence of heart attacks.

The study assessed the link between daily increases in pollutants with increased heart failure, including hospitalization and heart failure mortality. It particularly focused on the effects of exposure to carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and PM2.5 and PM10 particulate pollution.

The review found that people with already weakened hearts, who are exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate air pollution from vehicular exhaust fumes, are more susceptible to heart failure. These pollutants are particularly harmful, as they tend to penetrate the lungs deeply and enter the bloodstream.

City filters for urban pollution Densely populated urban environments have a higher level of air pollution, and to "keep the city out" in urban centres, Camfil has developed the "City" series of molecular filters - City-Flo XL™, CityCarb™, City-Flo™ and CitySorb™ - which represent the ultimate filtration solution for maintaining high indoor air quality control in public and commercial buildings.

Camfil's City filters are ideal for the ventilation systems of buildings situated along streets and roads with heavy traffic. These filters combine a high-performance particle filter and highly effective broad-spectrum carbon filter in a single filter product. The filters are highly effective against particulates, exhaust fumes and smells, and their highly activated carbon removes a wide range of volatile organic compounds and even ozone.

City filters have high energy-efficiency and ozone-removal ratings. In addition to their high filtration efficiency to remove harmful particles and gases, City filters offer additional benefits for building owners, as they require no modifications to air handling units for installation.

Source: R&D

An inexpensive new material made of clay and papaya seeds removes harmful metals from water and could lower the cost of providing clean water to millions of people in the developing world, scientists are reporting. Their study on this “hybrid clay” appears in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.

Emmanuel Unuabonah and colleagues explain that almost 1 billion people in developing countries lack access to reliable supplies of clean water for drinking, cooking and other key uses. One health problem resulting from that shortage involves exposure to heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury, released from industrial sources into the water. Technology exists for removing those metals from drinking water, but often is too costly in developing countries. So these scientists looked for a more affordable and sustainable water treatment adsorbent.

They turned to two materials readily available in some developing countries. One was kaolinite clay, used to make ceramics, paint, paper and other products. The other: seeds of the Carica papaya fruit. Both had been used separately in water purification in the past, but until now, they had not been combined in what the scientists term “hybrid clay.” Their documentation of the clay’s effectiveness established that the material “has a strong potential for replacing commercial activated carbon in treatment of wastewater in the developing world.”

Source: Research and Markets

The Global Activated Carbon market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 11.36 percent over the period 2012-2016. One of the key factors contributing to this market growth is the stringent regulations present for air and water purification. The Global Activated Carbon market has also been witnessing a rise in R&D activities. However, the rise in raw material price could pose a challenge to the growth of this market. 

The Global Activated Carbon Market 2012-2016, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market in the Americas, and the APAC and EMEA regions; it also covers the Global Activated Carbon market landscape and its growth prospects in the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.
The key vendors dominating this space include Ada Carbon Solutions LLC, Cabot Corp., Calgon Carbon Corp., and MeadWestvaco Corp.

The other vendors mentioned in the report are Albemarle Corp., Arkema S.A., Haycarb PLC, Jacobi Carbons, Kuraray Chemical Co. Ltd., Osaka Gas Chemical Co. Ltd., and Siemens Water Technologies Corp.

Key questions answered in this report:
- What will the market size be in 2015 and at what will be the growth rate?
- What are key market trends?
- What is driving this market?
- What are the challenges to market growth?
- Who are the key vendors in this market space?
-What are the market opportunities and threats faced by key vendors?
- What are the strengths and weaknesses of each of these key vendors?

Source: The Hindu Business Line

Export of coconut and coconut products reached a record Rs 1,050 crore in 2012-13.

This is a landmark in coconut exports. Last fiscal, coconut exports other than coir and coir products registered a growth of 26 per cent in value and 32 per cent in the quantum.

DEMAND
Some 58,000 tonnes of activated carbon worth Rs 550 crore, making up over 50 per cent of the total export value of coconut products, were exported.

Quality, shell-based activated carbon is in demand from markets such as the US, eastern Europe, South-East Asia and West Asia .

ACTIVATED CARBON
In view of the economic revival and trade increase, India’s trade with the US is increasing, in addition to the traditional markets, officials in the Coconut Development Board said.

Coconut shell based activated carbon is notified under Focus Product Scheme and is eligible for 2 per cent export incentive with effect from January 1.

Since the Union Government notified the Board as an Export Promotion Council for all coconut products from April 1, 2009, a sizeable quantity of coconut and coconut products is being exported. Shipments have registered an average growth of 35 per cent in the last four years.

TARGET
The board currently has around 1,000 registered exporters. It aims to achieve Rs 5,000 crore worth coconut product exports by the end of the 12th five-year Plan.

Source: Woodworking Network

Activated charcoal from wood chips, saw dust and other biomass can be powderized and used to filter mercury out of exhaust from coal-fired boilers, says enviraPAC, giving old power plants a new lease on life.

Coal-burning power plants and industrial facilities across the United States face likely closure, unable to comply with more stringent EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) regulations to reduce their mercury emissions by 90 percent in coming years.

enviraPAC says its proprietary technology for producing and injecting activated charcoal into exhaust flues could solve the problem. Activated charcoal is a familiar filtration material, used in consumer markets to clean a=everything from fish tanks to kitchen exhaust hoods. The global demand for activated carbon is expected to increase by more than ten percent per year through 2016.

The Kingsport, TN enviraPAC, a division of The EnviraCarbon Companies, says it saw the opportunity to use its powdered activated charcoal, produced in an environmentally friendly way, to clean emissions from coal-ired power plants.

Steve Hooper, CEO and co- Founder of enviraPAC, says "With a large number of aging power plants that require costly and large-scale improvements to meet environmental regulations, enviraPAC is in a unique position to supply a more efficient, cost effective alternative to traditional methods."

Its wood-based powdered activated carbon product, enviraPAC Hg™, replaces traditional activated carbon products produced from coal. The carbon is injected to capture and prevent mercury emissions from coal flue gas. 

The process uses a patent-pending biomass carbonization reactor able to convert biomass into a carbon product at a 25-50% conversion rate with no external heat inputs. The carbonization system is able to produce enough heat to dry incoming biomass and drive the activation process, while leaving energy available for other purposes such as electricity generation.

"Normal activation of coal requires approximately 11,000 cubic feet of natural gas to drive the activation reaction," explains the company at its website. "Because of the unique and proprietary way we manage the decomposition of the incoming biomass we are able to utilize the energy from combustion of the gases and tars produced in decomposition rather than using natural gas, or other external energy sources for heating." The process uses 40% less energy than traditinoal methods, says enviraPAC.

Source: PRNewswire

Coal use to become more environmentally friendly thanks to enviraPAC's new technology

As coal-burning power plants and industrial facilities across the United States seek solutions to comply with more stringent EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) regulations to reduce their mercury emissions by 90 percent over the next few years, enviraPAC's proprietary technology is poised to be a major part of the solution to this challenge.

Activated carbon injection is widely accepted as the most effective method to capture and prevent mercury emissions from coal flue gas and enviraPAC's patented and proprietary technology is the first environmentally friendly biomass-based process for the large scale production of powdered activated carbon (PAC) for this purpose. enviraPAC employs a closed loop system that uses renewable biomass/waste wood as its feedstock. Traditional methods of manufacturing powdered activated carbon use lignite or coal which negatively impact the environment.

The benefits of enviraPAC's groundbreaking process are:

• enviraPAC is an environmentally gentle technology.
• enviraPAC facilities cost substantially less to build than traditional plants.
• enviraPAC manufacturing facilities can be built in a fraction of the time it takes to build traditional PAC facilities.
• enviraPAC plants are more efficient in producing its product, using 40% less energy than traditional processes of the same output.

enviraPAC recently completed extensive testing of its carbon with outstanding results. After years of development at enviraPAC's in-house research and development complex, enviraPAC has undergone a series of tests that validate the real world functionality of the carbons they have developed.

The global demand for activated carbon is expected to increase by more than ten percent per year through 2016, and enviraPAC is in a unique position to meet a large portion of this demand. The enviraPAC facilities are auto-thermic and consequently use dramatically less energy than is consumed by other powdered active carbon manufacturers.

"This cost effective, proprietary enviraPAC technology is by far the most environmentally friendly method of producing powdered active carbon which is the most widely accepted form of absorption and reduction of harmful mercury emissions," says Steve Hooper, CEO & Co- Founder of enviraPAC. "With a large number of aging power plants that require costly and large-scale improvements to meet environmental regulations, enviraPAC is in a unique position to supply a more efficient, cost effective alternative to traditional methods."

Coal-burning power plants are the largest contributors of mercury in the environment and produce more than 42 percent of all electricity in the United States. As coal burning plants explore options to reduce their mercury emissions and comply with EPA regulations, they are finding the global shortage of activated carbon, particularly powdered activated carbon for mercury capture, is placing their compliance in jeopardy because of the projected supply deficits in traditional carbons. enviraPAC offers a cost-effective and efficient solution to this looming problem.

Traditional activated carbon plants take many years to permit and construct, while a fully operational enviraPAC facility can be permitted and built within 12 to 15 months. Because enviraPAC facilities use biomass, the permitting process is much shorter and less complex.

Mercury and other emissions can cause damage to the nervous systems of the unborn and children, as well as aggravate asthma, and contribute to other serious health issues in adults. In addition, mercury can contaminate fish and wildlife which can be harmful when ingested by humans.

Source: Spokesman-Review

Large wakes from powerboats speeding down Newman Lake are pounding the shoreline, leading to severe erosion in some areas.

At the Tyler home on the west side of the lake off Peninsula Drive, about 30 feet of beach has been lost in the past 15 years, said Walt Edelin, a water resource manager for the Spokane County Conservation District. The sand was eaten away to the point that there was a 2-foot drop-off at the shoreline instead of a gradual decline into the water.

The property owners teamed up with the Conservation District for an erosion control project that should stop the beach from continually shrinking out from under two beachfront bunk houses. “Since we have those two cabins on the beach, we had to do something,” said Ed Tyler.

The district got a $30,000 grant from the Department of Ecology to design and install a solution. The property owners also contributed several thousand dollars to the project. Several “bio logs” made of coconut fiber were installed along the water’s edge. Sedge and rush plants were planted directly into the logs to put down roots. A row of coyote willows and dogwoods were planted just inches from the edge of the beach, which is now just a narrow patch of sand.

The idea is that the bio logs will trap sediment as they slowly decompose. “It will turn into soil at some point,” Edelin said.

The efforts didn’t stop there. The property owners rearranged their docks to help protect the shore from wakes. Log rafts were put in the water parallel to the shore to absorb the wake energy. The rafts are anchored to the shore with ropes and chains. When a wake hits them, the logs bounce in the water as the wave washes over them. The water between the log rafts and the shore is noticeably calmer than the water in the open lake.

Edelin said the Conservation District is looking for other property owners on the lake who are interested in doing something similar. “It’s a demonstration project to show we can do this without putting in bulkheads,” he said.

The Newman Lake Property Association organized a meeting Wednesday at the Tri-Community Grange to present the project to residents. “It’s quite a problem,” association board member Karen Stebbins said of the erosion issue. “It’s pretty widespread.”

The erosion is caused by boats with bladders, the kind that is often used by wake boarders, Edelin said. Bladders are large tanks that can be filled with water to make the boats ride lower in the water and create more of a wake.

A new public boat launch was recently completed on the east side of the lake, and boat traffic is up. “It has led to increased use of the lake by bladder boats and fishermen too,” Stebbins said.

The home on Peninsula Drive has been owned by the same family for 100 years and never had a problem with erosion until the powerboats came to the lake, Edelin said. Normal storms on the lake didn’t seem to have much effect, he said. “This beach survived all those storms for decades,” he said.

Busy summer weekends can create a steady stream of wakes coming ashore continuously. “It’s just from these bag boats and the constant assault on the shoreline,” said Tyler. “It’s just like the ocean. Some people are losing trees.”

Tyler said he has asked the Spokane County commissioners to create rules to help prevent erosion but was unsuccessful. “We need to have some kind of regulation in place to protect these shores,” he said.

The dirt and sand eroding from the shore is also creating water quality problems, said Patty Tyler. “They’re not making lakes anymore,” she said. “We have to protect the ones we have.”

Source: POWER Engineering

The optimal selection of control technologies to limit mercury emissions depends on the type of coal-fired unit (new or existing), the rank of the coal and existing emission control systems.

Mercury in coal varies from 0.05 to 0.25 parts per million by weight, depending on the type of coal. The established regulatory limits on mercury emissions depend on the type of unit and the type of coal. The limits for new coal-fired units are 0.04 lb/GWh for units that burn low-rank coal such as lignite with a higher heating value (HHV) of less than 8,300 Btu/lb, and 0.003 lb/GWh for units burning high-rank coal with an HHV of more than 8,300 Btu/lb. For existing units, the corresponding limits are 0.12 lb/GWh or 11.0 lb/TBtu and 0.013 lb/GWh or 1.2 lb/TBtu, respectively. These emission limits translate to removal efficiency ranges of 65 percent to more than 80 percent for new units using low-rank coals and 95 percent to more than 98 percent for new units burning high-rank coals. The removal efficiency ranges for existing units are 15 percent to more than 50 percent for low-rank coals and 85 percent to 95 percent for high-rank coal.

Because the removal requirements are based solely on lb/GWh, operators of new units may find that low-mercury coal and the ultra super-critical steam cycle, which yield very low heat rates in the range of 8,000 Btu/KWh, offer substantial benefit. For existing units, the control technology selection depends on the removal requirement, mercury concentration and speciation, and type of existing emission control system.

During combustion, mercury in coal is first released as elemental mercury (Hg0), before it is converted to ionic or oxidized species (Hg++) and as particulates. The conversions depend on many factors, such as the rate of cooling, concentrations of halogens and sulfur trioxide (SO3), amount of fly ash, fly ash properties and unburned carbon in fly ash. The concentration of elemental mercury and ionic mercury varies from 20 percent to 80 percent, depending on the coal, its halogen content and the particulate mercury content. Elemental mercury is not water soluble and is difficult to remove in downstream flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems. Ionic mercury, on the other hand, is very water soluble and is easily removed in FGD systems, both wet and dry. The particulate mercury is also removed by devices such as an electrostatic precipitator (ESP) or a fabric filter (FF) with fly ash.

Mercury can be removed through chemical adsorption on powdered activated carbon (PAC). Activated carbon is injected upstream of an ESP or FF and is removed along with fly ash. Because it is also adsorbed and removed by PAC, the presence of SO3 adversely affects mercury removal. If SCR is used for nitrogen oxides (NOx) control, it can exacerbate this problem; SCR tends to oxidize sulfur dioxide (SO2) to SO3 and increases SO3 concentration in the flue gas. Low-oxidation catalysts can be used to minimize this problem. SO3 can also be removed by injecting alkali such as trona or lime/hydrated lime upstream of PAC injection. The main drawback of the PAC system is its potential adverse effect on ESP performance when ESP is used for particulate collection and to improve the salability of fly ash. A new market entrant, injection of amended silicates, can potentially negate both increased SO3 concentration in the flue gas and the attendant adverse effect on ESP performance. The long-term viability of amended silicate has not yet been demonstrated, however.

Halogen compounds such as bromine or hydrogen bromide added to flue gas increase the conversion of elemental mercury to ionic mercury, thereby facilitating mercury capture in downstream FGD. Halogen salts can also be added to coal before the pulverizers. During combustion, bromide salts decompose and release bromine ions, which in turn oxidize elemental mercury to ionic mercury that is removed in FGD. Bromine ions can potentially increase fireside corrosion. Some ionic mercury collected in the FGD can revert back to elemental mercury and can be re-emitted into the flue gas. Although chemicals can be added to minimize re-emission, the exact mechanisms of the re-emission reactions and the mitigation measures are not clearly established.

Given the complexity of choosing control technologies for limiting mercury emissions, a comprehensive site-specific study may be necessary to help your company choose the optimal solution.

Source: Stockhouse

Calgon Carbon Granted Fifth Patent For Advanced FLUEPAC® Technology Calgon Carbon Corporation (NYSE: CCC), the leader in innovative activated carbon products for flue gas treatment, today announced that the United States Patent & Trademark Office (U.S. P&TO) granted the company its fifth patent related to its FLUEPAC® technology. U.S. Patent, No. 8,450,238 was issued on May 28, 2013, and relates to its FLUEPAC® ST and FLUEPAC® STF products for flue gas treatment. The patent includes claims directed to both composition of matter and methods of manufacture of these products.

The FLUEPAC® ST and STF products excel in removing mercury from systems where acid gases, such as SO3, are present. These products enable coal fired power plants to meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Mercury & Air Toxics (MATS) standards using 50% to 70% less activated carbon than other commercially available flue gas adsorbents. Calgon Carbon’s unique carbon additives reduce the detrimental effect of acids in the flue gas without producing the negative effects of other adsorption agents. Combined with ultra-fine adsorbent particles, this technology substantially improves performance and cost effectiveness of mercury removal using the ST product line.

This is the fifth patent granted in the United States related to the FLUEPAC® product line. The other patents are U.S. Patent Nos. 8,057,576, 8,216,535, 8,309,046, and 8,409,330. Each of these patents relate to compositions, methods for using, and methods of manufacture for high performance materials useful in flue gas treatment for mercury. Calgon Carbon also has patents of similar scope pending and issued around the world.

Bill Zinsser, Vice President, Specialty Products of Calgon Carbon, commented, “Calgon Carbon has a long history of innovation in activated carbon technology, and we are extremely pleased with the issuance of this patent. We appreciate the continuing recognition by the United States Patent & Trademark Office, and other patent offices around the world, for our unique contributions to the development of the mercury removal market. We recognize the special needs of our electric utility customers and have made a significant investment in delivering superior products that provide added value to our customers.”