Scrubber-Adsorber Market Back to $6 Billion This Year
The world market for scrubbers, biofilters, absorbers and adsorbers reached $6 billion in 2008 but dropped in 2009. However, thanks to a strong resurgence in Asia, it will top $6 billion again this year. This is the latest forecast in Scrubber/Adsorber/Biofilter World Markets an online continually updated report by the McIlvaine Company www.mcilvainecompany.com.
2010 World Revenues ($ Millions)
Subject 2010
Absorber 2,824
Adsorber 1,170
Biofilter 491
Dry Scrubber 457
Other 233
Particulate 942
Absorbers will account for almost one half of the sales. These are used to capture odorous gases in municipal waste treatment plants, acid gases from incinerators, chemical and mining operations, as well as applications in pulp and paper, refining and many other industries. Absorbers used to capture power plant flue gases are not included in these totals but are in a separate report.
The second largest market is adsorption. This is primarily with activated carbon and includes both solvent recovery as well as odor control. Biofilters are used for odor control in municipal wastewater plants. Dry scrubbers are used to capture HCl and other acid gases emitted by municipal waste combustion. Venturi and other scrubber types are used to capture particulate in foundry sand systems, grain dryers and many other applications involving sticky dust.
Municipal wastewater and municipal waste combustion are the two biggest industry segments. There are a number of new incinerators being built in China and other Asian countries. Either dry or wet scrubbers are used with incinerators. The metals industry in developing countries favors scrubbers over baghouses. They are less costly and more rugged. However, the efficiencies are lower.
There are nearly 1000 scrubber system vendors around the world. This very fractured industry is divided both geographically and by industry. There are relatively few suppliers of nozzles, packing, and mist eliminators used in the systems. The typical scrubber system designer does not have his own manufacturing facility. He subcontracts the design with a metal fabricator.
The supply of activated carbon for the adsorption applications is a big market of over $0.5 billion/yr. This does not include the carbon used for mercury removal in power plants. This power market is likely to be bigger than the other applications combined.
Scrubber system suppliers typically supply the wastewater treatment systems needed to purify any liquid discharged. Most scrubbers operate with recycled scrubber liquor and a relatively small bleed to final treatment.
Industry Totals
Industry 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Chemical 633 667 694 722 715 735 759 786
Electronics 195 230 234 262 240 244 249 254
Food 161 168 177 185 193 200 209 218
Incinerators 805 918 1052 1212 1231 1257 1291 1332
Metals 681 698 716 734 687 712 739 767
Other Industries 759 794 834 873 853 873 894 916
Pulp & Paper 241 251 262 274 267 271 276 281
Surface Coating 539 564 592 620 589 607 638 671
Wastewater 943 998 1056 1118 1159 1217 1278 1343
Worldwide Totals:
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
4958 5289 5616 6000 5934 6118 6332 6567
For more information on Scrubber/Adsorber/Biofilter World Markets, click on:
http://www.mcilvainecompany.com//brochures/air.html#n008.
Bob McIlvaine
President
847 784 0012 ext 112
rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com