World wide legislation is being prepared or already in force to limit gaseous hydrocarbon emissions to our environment.  An important portion of these emissions is formed by volatile hydrocarbon compounds coming from manufacturing, transportation and application of oil based products.

Hydrocarbon vapours form, under influence of ultra violet light, Ozone at ground level, which in its turn contributes to the formation of SMOG.  Other hydrocarbon components are suspected of being carcinogenic (Aromatics).

Maximum emission levels for various components have been specified in guidelines such as the American Epa, the German TA-Luft, EC Directive for Petroleum Terminals and many similar national regulations.

The European Community plans to reduce the problem of hydrocarbon emissions in a time frame of approximately ten years.  Other countries have already implemented legislation or will, no doubt, do so in the near future.

The Carbovac - Vaporec Vapour Recovery System is developed to deal with those emissions that occur during manufacture and handling of chemical and petrochemical products, in a users friendly way, using as little energy as possible and without creating secondary waste products.

The system can effectively reduce the concentration of volatile hydrocarbon components such as alcanes (ethane, propane, butane, etc.), cyclic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, cyclohexane) and others in a carrier gas (e.g. air, nitrogen) and recover these components in their pure form, as mixtures, or in an absorbents.  The purified carrier gas can be vented to atmosphere or stored and recycled.

Containers holding or transporting liquid hydrocarbons (Storage tanks, Ships, Rail Cars or Truck tankers) usually have a fixed volume and maintain a vapour space above the liquid level with a relatively high concentration of volatile components.  During filling of the container the hydrocarbon vapours are displaced by the liquid to atmosphere.  This gas - vapour mixture can be treated by the Carbovac - Vaporec Vapour recovery system to prevent pollution and to recover valuable product.