Method and apparatus for removing vinyl monomers from a gas stream

Abstract

An apparatus for removing vinyl monomers from a gas stream includes a tube, a shading casing and a light emitting unit. The tube includes a first section having a connecting port with an opening, a second section, and a third section having an outlet. The three sections sequentially link together, with the second section connecting between the first section and the third section. A photoactive-inorganic medium is arranged inside the second section. The shading casing surrounds and seals the second section and an inner surface of the shading casing defines a reflecting face. The light emitting unit is mounted to the shading casing to irradiate and activate the photoactive-inorganic medium in the second section. Accordingly, the photoactive-inorganic medium can be activated by the light emitting unit to photocatalyze vinyl monomers in a gas stream to polymerize on surfaces of the photoactive-inorganic medium, such that vinyl monomers are removed.

1 . An apparatus for removing vinyl monomers from a gas stream comprising:
 a tube including a first section having a connecting port with an opening, a second section, and a third section having an outlet, with the three sections sequentially linking together, with the second section connecting between the first section and the third section, and with a photoactive-inorganic medium being arranged inside the second section;   a shading casing surrounding and sealing the second section, with an inner surface of the shading casing defining a reflecting face; and   a light emitting unit being mounted to the shading casing to irradiate and activate the photoactive-inorganic medium in the second section.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus for removing vinyl monomers from a gas stream as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the shading casing has an assembling hole formed in a wall thereof, and the light emitting unit is coupled to the assembling hole and seals the assembling hole. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus for removing vinyl monomers from a gas stream as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the shading casing has an assembling hole formed in a wall thereof, with a lid covering the assembling hole. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus for removing vinyl monomers from a gas stream as defined in  claim 3 , wherein the light emitting unit is arranged inside the shading casing. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus for removing vinyl monomers from a gas stream as defined in  claim 3  further includes a light emitting unit, with the two light emitting units being arranged inside the shading casing and at two opposite sides of the second section. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus for removing vinyl monomers from a gas stream as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the shading casing further has two through holes, with the tube partially received in the shading casing through the through holes. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus for removing vinyl monomers from a gas stream as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the reflecting face is white. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus for removing vinyl monomers from a gas stream as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of the shading casing is daubed with white paint or attached with white cloth or paper to form the reflecting face. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus for removing vinyl monomers from a gas stream as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the light emitting unit is able to emit UV or visible light. 
     
     
         10 . A method for removing vinyl monomers from a gas stream comprising the steps of:
 irradiating a photoactive-inorganic medium by a light emitting unit to activate the photoactive-inorganic medium; and   pumping a gas stream including vinyl monomers to contact with the activated photoactive-inorganic medium to make the vinyl monomers in the gas stream to polymerize on the photoactive-inorganic medium to jointly form a polymeric nano-composite.   
     
     
         11 . The method for removing vinyl monomers from a gas stream as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the photoactive-inorganic medium is irradiated merely by light from the light emitting unit, and the gas stream including vinyl monomers contacts with the activated photoactive-inorganic medium in the dark. 
     
     
         12 . The method for removing vinyl monomers from a gas stream as defined in  claim 10 , wherein a step of aerating the photoactive-inorganic medium by an aerating gas is added before irradiating the photoactive-inorganic medium for reducing moisture of the photoactive-inorganic medium. 
     
     
         13 . The method for removing vinyl monomers from a gas stream as defined in  claim 12 , wherein a step of heating the photoactive-inorganic medium in low pressure lower than 1 atm is added before aerating the photoactive-inorganic medium. 
     
     
         14 . The method for removing vinyl monomers from a gas stream as defined in  claim 10 , wherein vinyl monomer is selected from ethylene, propylene, butadiene, styrene or stilbene. 
     
     
         15 . The method for removing vinyl monomers from a gas stream as defined in  claim 10 , wherein vinyl monomer has a chemical structure as the following, with R, R′, R″ and R′″ being selected from H, CH 3  or CH 3 CH 2 . 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         16 . The method for removing vinyl monomers from a gas stream as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the light emitting unit is able to emit UV light or visible light. 
     
     
         17 . The method for removing vinyl monomers from a gas stream as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the photoactive-inorganic medium is irradiated for 1 minute to 86400 minutes. 
     
     
         18 . The method for removing vinyl monomers from a gas stream as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the gas stream including vinyl monomers contacts with the photoactive-inorganic medium for a period of time ranging from 1 minutes to 1440 minutes. 
     
     
         19 . The method for removing vinyl monomers from a gas stream as defined in  claim 12 , wherein the aerating gas is selected from a group consisting of nitrogen, oxygen, helium, carbon dioxide, ozone and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The method for removing vinyl monomers from a gas stream as defined in  claim 12 , wherein the photoactive-inorganic medium is aerated by the aerating gas for a aeration time ranging from 1 minute to 36000 minutes.