Recover Valuable Solvents.
Reduce Emissions.
Circular Economy.
CCDC's Genosorb® recovery technology captures VOCs before they reach the atmosphere — enabling industries to recover valuable solvents, reduce GHG emissions, comply with environmental regulations, and lower operating costs. Unlike destruction technologies, Genosorb recovers and recycles solvents back into production.
Recover Valuable Solvents.
Reduce Emissions.
Circular Economy.
CCDC's Genosorb® recovery technology captures VOCs before they reach the atmosphere — enabling industries to recover valuable solvents, reduce GHG emissions, comply with environmental regulations, and lower operating costs. Unlike destruction technologies, Genosorb recovers and recycles solvents back into production.
01 · Why VOC Emissions Matter
An economic loss before it's a compliance one
Industrial VOC emissions contribute to air pollution, resource loss, and increasing environmental pressure. Modern regulations — enforced strictly across Europe, the US, and Japan — encourage recovery, sustainability, and efficient resource utilisation rather than simple destruction.
Recovering solvents improves both environmental performance and operating economics at once: every kilogram of solvent captured is a kilogram that doesn't need to be purchased, burned, or accounted for as a compliance cost.
The scale of the problem
Some sources emit a single solvent at modest concentration; others — gravure printing lines, paint shops, flexible-packaging plants — emit mixtures of up to six solvents at once, at flows from a few hundred to 200,000 Nm³/hr.
200,000
Nm³/hr max flow
6
Solvents simultaneously
<100
Nm³/hr minimum
Two approaches to the problem
Process modification
Changing or modifying the process chemistry and processing steps to reduce VOC generation at source.
End-of-pipeline treatment
Treating the exhaust stream after it leaves the process to meet emission standards without changing the upstream chemistry.
End-of-pipeline: two types
Destruction — converts pollutants to CO₂ / water to meet compliance. Nothing is recovered.
Recovery & recycle
Returns pollutants to the process or recovers them for use elsewhere — turning a liability into an asset.
Three broad technology categories
1 · Oxidation systems
Thermal or catalytic. Must operate below LEL, always require supplemental fuel (NG or LPG), and need thermal recovery — recuperative (40–70%) or regenerative (up to 95%). Achieves 95%+ destruction, but increases CO₂ / GHG output and eliminates any chance of solvent recovery.
2 · Reactive absorption
Converts pollutants into a saleable or disposable compound via liquid-phase reaction. Examples: formaldehyde → urea pre-condensates; H₂S / SO₂ → caustic soda; NOx → ammonia. Can reach non-detectable emission levels, but is chemistry-specific rather than general-purpose.
3 · Physical systems
Our approachCapture VOCs without destroying or chemically altering them. A high-boiling absorbent dissolves VOC from the gas stream, then releases it in a stripping step for condensation and reuse.
Enables recovery. Runs at lower energy cost. Works across a broad range of chemistries.
02 · Non-Destructive Recovery Systems
Non-destructive, non-reactive systems recover and recycle the VOC as a liquid or in concentrated form — nothing is burned or chemically converted. Three principal technologies exist:
Adsorption
Gas adsorbed onto activated carbon (or zeolite / molecular sieve) beds. Near-100% removal possible. Ketones and mixed streams are problematic — high heats of adsorption risk fire. Cyclic operation requires at least two beds. High maintenance; large footprint.
Refrigeration & Cryogenic
Reduces gas temperature until VOC condenses out. As concentration falls, cryogenic temperatures may be needed. Best for high-concentration, intermittent streams — tank farms, loading stations, marine unloading. Requires only power; smallest footprint.
Physical Absorption — Genosorb®
Our technologyA high-boiling PEG ether absorbent dissolves VOC at ambient conditions, then releases it in a stripping column for condensation and reuse. Ambient temperature, low pressure, no carbon beds, no periodic replacement. Works across polar, non-polar VOCs and gases such as CO₂, H₂S and SO₂.
Table 1 — Comparison among non-destructive technologies
| Parameter | Refrigeration | Absorption ✦ | Adsorption |
|---|---|---|---|
| Process | Condensation | Separation and condensation | Separation and condensation |
| Operating temp. | Very low temp. | Ambient or below ambient | Ambient and above |
| Pressure | Very low | Low | High |
| Vacuum | Not required | Optional | Required |
| Operations | Automatic / continuous | Automatic continuous | Automatic batch process |
| Maintenance | Low | Low | High |
| Power cost | On demand only | Even at no load | Even at no load |
| Installation cost | Very low | Low | Large |
| Conc. measurement | Not required | Required (outlet) | Required (outlet) |
| Space | Smallest | Small | Large |
| Steam | Not required | Required | Required |
| Inert gas | Not required | Special circumstances | Required for safety |
| Carbon replacement | Not required | Not required | Periodic replacement |
✦ Genosorb® physical absorption — recommended for mixed-solvent, continuous-process streams.
03 · Why Recovery Is Better Than Destruction
Lower raw material costs
Recovered solvent goes straight back into production instead of being purchased fresh.
Lower greenhouse gas emissions
~1.315 kg CO₂-equivalent avoided per kg of VOC recovered, net of the recovery process's own utility inputs.
Reduced operating cost
No supplemental fuel requirement of the kind oxidation needs. Genosorb make-up loss as little as 2% of inventory per year.
Resource conservation
Solvent that would otherwise be lost to atmosphere or converted to waste heat is kept in productive use.
Circular economy support
Turns what used to be an emissions liability into a recurring, reusable input stream.
04 · Why Genosorb
Most of the physical absorbents are specific for a few VOC or for gases like CO₂, H₂S etc. Apart from single solvents recent work is reported on use of deep eutectic solvents (DES) and ionic liquids; they are still to reach commercial scale.
The desired properties would be high affinity for the VOC to be recovered, high boiling point so that separation can be done easily and the product will not be contaminated, low viscosity so that heat and mass transfer is not hindered, and low heat capacity to lower the energy needs. A low surface tension is desirable as it makes for easy spreading — a larger surface area is obtained in the mass transfer equipment. High selectivities can be an advantage as separation of VOC is possible.
VOCs to be recovered have wide-ranging chemical and physical properties such as boiling point and polarity — there may not be a single "one size fits all" solvent. Among glycol ethers, Clariant A.G. has developed a range of polyethylene glycol ethers under the brand Genosorb® — mixtures of varying chain lengths tuned for polar and non-polar VOC as well as gases like CO₂, H₂S and SO₂. Various inhibitors prevent oxidation and give a long life. All Genosorbs have good affinity for water, so the treated gas gets dehydrated.
Engineered for the job
Genosorb is a family of polyethylene glycol ether absorbents developed by Clariant A.G., engineered specifically against the properties that make a physical absorbent effective.
Boiling point
Absorbent stays liquid through stripping — no loss alongside the VOC
Vapour pressure
Minimal absorbent carryover into the treated gas stream
Density at 20 °C
Stable across operating temperature range
Viscosity at 20 °C
Moderate — keeps heat and mass transfer efficient
Specific heat
Well-understood thermal behaviour for heat-integration design
Thermal conductivity
Supports efficient inter-stream heat exchange
Annual make-up loss
Inhibitors prevent oxidation; long service life
Genosorb Grades
| Grade | Target | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Genosorb 300 | Polar solvents | Alcohols, ketones, esters, ethers |
| Genosorb 1843 | Non-polar solvents | Aliphatics, aromatics, chlorinated |
| Genosorb 1753 | H₂S / CO₂ | Biogas upgrading, sour gas |
| Genosorb 1900 | SO₂ | Sulphur dioxide capture |
Simultaneous dehydration
Genosorb's strong affinity for water means the treated gas stream comes out dehydrated as a side benefit of VOC removal — no extra process step required.
05 · Circular Economy
Large-scale chemical plant
Skid-mounted recovery unit
Industrial absorption facility
3-D process model
Lower greenhouse gases
Recovery avoids the combustion CO₂ that destruction technologies generate. Documented net reduction: ~1.315 kg CO₂-equivalent per kg of VOC recovered.
Resource conservation
Solvent that would otherwise be lost to atmosphere is captured and returned to productive use rather than purchased as fresh raw material.
Circular manufacturing
Recovered solvent goes directly back into the same process it came from, closing the loop rather than creating a one-way waste stream.
Reduced waste
Applies equally to VOC-laden effluent water — COD loads cut by over 99% through stripping and recovery, from ~200,000 to under 1,000 in pilot runs.
ESG performance
Measurable emissions reductions and resource-efficiency gains translate directly into environmental, social, and governance reporting metrics.
06 · How the Process Works
Gas enters absorber
VOC-laden process gas is fed into the absorption column at ambient or below-ambient temperature.
Genosorb absorbs VOCs
The liquid absorbent contacts the gas and dissolves the VOC out of it, driven by Genosorb's high affinity for the target compound(s).
Clean gas exits
Treated gas — now within emission-compliant VOC levels and incidentally dehydrated — is released or sent onward.
Rich solvent regenerated
The VOC-loaded absorbent is pumped to a stripper column and heated, driving the VOC back out of solution.
Solvent condensed
The now-concentrated VOC vapour leaving the stripper is easily condensed into recoverable liquid product.
Genosorb recycled
The lean, regenerated absorbent is cooled and returned to the absorber, with heat exchanged between rich and lean streams and pressure energy recovered via turbine pumps.
Energy conservation
Heat is exchanged between the VOC-rich stream heading to the stripper and the lean stream returning to the absorber, cutting the net energy purchased. Pressure energy between the two columns can be recovered with turbine pumps.
07 · Engineering Design
Every Genosorb installation is engineered around six interlocking variables — not a one-size-fits-all skid.
NE Isometric · 3-D Plant Model
Solvent selection
Matching the Genosorb grade or blend to the specific VOC mixture, since affinity varies by compound class.
Temperature
Absorber and stripper each run at temperatures chosen to maximise absorption on one side and clean regeneration on the other.
Pressure
Absorption and stripping can run at different pressures as well as temperatures — sometimes both — to optimise separation.
VOC concentration
Inlet concentration drives sizing decisions; very low concentrations at high volume call for a rotary-concentrator pre-stage.
Heat integration
Exchanging heat between the VOC-rich stream heading to the stripper and the lean stream returning cuts net energy purchased.
Energy recovery
Pressure energy between the two columns can be recovered with turbine pumps, further lowering operating cost.
08 · Multiple Process Integration
One system, many sources
Multiple pieces of process equipment — batch reactors, dryers, printing stations, coating lines — can be manifolded into one centralised recovery system.
Lower capital cost
One recovery train serving several sources costs less than duplicating equipment at each point of emission.
Centralised recovery
Solvent from multiple process steps is captured and regenerated in one place rather than scattered across the plant.
Automatic operation
The combined system runs on automation rather than requiring manual intervention at each source.
Simplified maintenance
One system to maintain instead of several smaller, dispersed ones.
Plant-wide emission control
Demonstrated to maintain compliance even as individual feed flows and concentrations vary significantly across connected sources.
50+ sites studied
More than 50 industrial sites studied across India, with VOCs encountered individually or in mixtures of up to six components.
09 · Industries Served
VOCs encountered in Indian industries
| Ethanol | Ethyl acetate | Hexane | Carbon disulphide | Styrene | MIBK |
| Hexane | Methyl acetate | Benzene | Sulphur dioxide | Acrylonitrile | Ethyl cellosolve |
| Benzene | Butyl acetate | Toluene | Isobutanol | Dioxolane | Methyl iodide |
| Toluene | Acetone | Xylenes | Ethylene dichloride | Ethane | VCM |
| Xylenes | MEK | n-Butanol | Gasoline (MS) | — | Methylene dichloride |
Organic VOCs recoverable with Genosorb
Halogenated compounds
10 · Beyond VOC Recovery
Genosorb's absorption chemistry extends past organic solvent capture into a range of gas-treatment applications.
Biogas upgrading
Removes CO₂, H₂S, COS, and mercaptans from raw biogas, producing purified biomethane. Operates at ~7 bar, methane loss <3%, Genosorb loss ~2%/yr.
H₂S removal
From syngas and IGCC plant feeds — recoverable as elemental sulphur via a low-energy ferrous EDTA process established since 1987.
CO₂ removal
From mixed low-molecular-weight hydrocarbon streams such as natural gas and raw biogas.
Natural gas sweetening
Selective absorption of acid gases from natural gas, the same approach applied to biogas.
Syngas purification
H₂S and sulphur-compound removal integrated into synthesis-gas production loops at large plants.
Sulphur recovery
H₂S captured and converted to elemental sulphur rather than simply scrubbed and disposed of.
Gas dehydration
A built-in side benefit of Genosorb's strong water affinity, delivered simultaneously with VOC or acid-gas removal.
Effluent water — COD reduction
Effluent waters generated from many synthetic organic chemical production processes have high COD content. The COD content is mainly due to high concentrations of solvents in the effluent stream.
The solvents are stripped with air giving a low-concentration VOC stream, that is fed to a Genosorb plant or rotary concentrator and the solvents recovered. The gases coming from the concentrator can also be incinerated at a low cost. High air volumes are needed for efficient stripping.
Efficient recovery is possible using a rotary concentrator followed by a Genosorb plant.
Pilot solvents tested
7
different solvents
COD reduction
200,000 → <1,000
>99.5% reduction
11 · Rotary Concentrator — Low Concentration, High Volume
Making dilute streams economic
It frequently happens that the concentration of VOC is very low and the volume is high — such as in flexible packaging, gravure printing, paint booths, battery and semiconductor manufacturing. Volumes may range from 10,000 m³/hr to 200,000 m³/hr with concentrations of only a few hundred to a few thousand ppm. The equipment shown in Fig. 1 becomes extremely large and the process uneconomic. Recourse is made to a device called a rotary concentrator to increase the concentration to a viable level.
The main equipment is a large, very slowly rotating wheel with a honeycomb structure filled with zeolite or activated carbon. The VOC-laden gas passes through the cooled face of the rotor where VOC is adsorbed and clean air exits to the chimney. A small portion (3–10%) of the air is heated and passed back through the rotor as the desorbing fluid — it emerges with a high concentration of VOC and is then cooled before going to the Genosorb recovery system. The concentration increase can be as high as 30×, limited to about 50–60% of the LEL for safety. A 100,000 Nm³/hr flow is thus reduced to 5,000–7,000 Nm³/hr at the Genosorb plant inlet, cutting equipment cost by 75–85% as well as operating cost — as shown in the table below.
Figure 3
Rotary concentrator schematic
Image to be supplied
Economics: with vs without concentrator
| Parameter | Without | With concentrator | Saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam demand | 1,250 kg/hr | 180 kg/hr | ↓ 86% |
| Cooling water | 200 m³/hr | 35 m³/hr | ↓ 83% |
| Refrigeration load | 200 TR | 60 TR | ↓ 70% |
| Genosorb make-up | 80 g/hr | 20 g/hr | ↓ 75% |
12 · Case Studies
01
Methanol Recovery
27 emission points · 200–700 Nm³/hr · 90% recovery
Attached to a batch organic synthesis plant. Recovered product runs 90–92% methanol purity and is recycled without distillation, at an operating cost of a few rupees per kilogram.
02
Acrylonitrile Recovery
>99% recovery · 950–1,100 t/yr recovered
A process plant consuming and recycling hundreds of tonnes per day. The system achieved over 99% recovery across multiple equipment emission points.
03
Hexane Recovery
100 Nm³/hr · outdoor installation
Acidic hexane emissions from a phase-transfer reactor. Installed as an outdoor unit mounted on the first floor — compact footprint on a working plant.
04
Carbon Disulphide (CS₂)
20,000–45,000 Nm³/hr · 90% recovery · 500× scale-up
Proven first on a pilot plant, then scaled up 500× to commercial capacity. CS₂ at 5–15 g/Nm³ alongside 2–5 g/Nm³ H₂S; CS₂ and H₂S recovered separately.
05
Methylene Dichloride (MDC)
950 kg/hr · 99% recovery · skid-mounted
Plant skid-assembled and shipped to site for installation outside the process plant. Achieved 99% recovery of the full stream.
06
Gravure Printing
100,000+ Nm³/hr · mixed solvent blend
High-speed operation with a shifting mix: ethyl acetate, ethanol, n-propyl acetate, MEK, toluene, isopropanol. Recovered mixed solvent dehydrated and re-blended to original formulation.
07
Flexible Packaging
Laminating machines · single and mixed solvents
Laminating-machine-scale installations recovering single or mixed solvents from high-speed packaging lines. See Section 10 economic data for detailed figures.
08
Paint Shops
Automotive · household · appliance paint lines
Rotary concentrator paired with Genosorb absorption. Recovered solvents reused in paint formulation, as diluent, or as cleaners — an alternative to the incineration route common in Europe.
09
COD Reduction
7 solvents · COD reduced from 200,000 to <1,000
Effluent water carrying high chemical-oxygen-demand loads was treated by stripping the solvent with air, then recovering it through a rotary concentrator and Genosorb plant.
13 · Why CCDC
Indian engineering
Every system is designed, engineered, and fabricated in India, backed by 45 years of process engineering experience.
Skid-mounted systems
Plants are shipped fully skid-mounted and erected outdoors — no covered shed required, minimising civil construction cost.
Automated operation
Fully instrumented for automatic operation, minimising manual intervention and providing continuous monitoring.
Pilot demonstrations
A trailer-mounted mobile pilot plant, designed by CCDC and operated with Clariant, has run numerous on-site demonstrations including mixtures of up to six solvents.
Commercial scale-up
Technology proven at pilot scale has been scaled up as much as 500× into full commercial plants across a wide range of industries.
Custom engineering
Solvent selection, temperature, pressure, and heat integration are engineered around each specific stream — not sold as an off-the-shelf fit.
41/42/3 1st Main Road West, Shenoy Nagar
Chennai – 600030, India
+91 98401 42990 · voc@ccdcindia.com
Technology partnership
Developed in-house with technical input from Clariant A.G., Germany. Pilot plant designed by CCDC and constructed and operated by Clariant — with demonstrations including recovery from mixtures of up to six solvents simultaneously.
14 · Request a Feasibility Study
Ready to recover more than emissions? Tell us about your stream — or, if you don't have that data yet, ask us to come measure it for you.
Option A
Request a Feasibility Study
Tell us about your VOC stream — components, concentration, flow rate — and we'll return a technology recommendation with a rough cost range.
Option B
Don't know your vent losses?
Not a problem — we can measure it for you. We visit your plant, measure VOC emissions from each vent, and give you a kg/day figure with a rupee-value loss estimate.