Activated Carbon Fiber Adsorption Performance for Benzene Removal from Paint Booth Exhaust Air Streams

Abstract

Benzene emissions from paint booth exhaust air streams pose significant environmental and occupational health risks due to their toxic, carcinogenic, and volatile nature. Efficient control of benzene vapor emissions is therefore essential for maintaining workplace safety and reducing atmospheric pollution in industrial coating operations. The present study investigates the adsorption performance of activated carbon fibers for benzene removal from paint booth exhaust air streams under controlled operational conditions. The research focuses on evaluating adsorption capacity, mass transfer behavior, breakthrough characteristics, regeneration efficiency, and operational stability associated with activated carbon fiber adsorption systems. Experimental analysis was conducted to examine the influence of inlet benzene concentration, airflow rate, humidity, temperature, fiber surface characteristics, and contact time on adsorption efficiency and pollutant removal performance. Results demonstrate that activated carbon fibers effectively remove benzene through physical adsorption and surface interaction mechanisms, resulting in substantial reduction of volatile organic compound concentrations in treated exhaust air. The study further reveals that the high surface area and microporous structure of activated carbon fibers significantly enhance adsorption kinetics and improve benzene capture efficiency under ambient operating conditions. Optimized airflow and humidity conditions contributed to improved adsorption performance and delayed breakthrough behavior. Comparative assessment with conventional granular activated carbon systems confirms the advantages of activated carbon fibers, including faster adsorption rates, lower pressure drop, improved regeneration capability, and compact system configuration.