By: Nik Korba
According to a new report from the American Lung Association (ALA), over 1 in 3 Americans live in places where air pollution is a threat to human health. The 2023 “State of the Air” report provides a long list of health problems that can be brought on by exposure to pollutants in the air, ranging from low birth weight to premature death. It says nearly 120 million people in the US face these dangers as a result of exposure to air pollution.
Oxidizers Inc. is a US-based company that is committed to reducing the type of health threats highlighted in the ALA report. The products and services that it provides to its customers support the cleaning of trillions of cubic feet of air in the US every year.
“We serve virtually every segment of the US manufacturing industry that works with volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, by supporting their thermal oxidation systems with equipment, service, and maintenance,” says Keith Lambert, President of Oxidizers Inc. “Without thermal oxidation systems, manufacturers would be releasing harmful chemicals like toluene, formaldehyde, and methyl ethyl ketone into the atmosphere. The work we do to keep those systems running optimally is critical for sustaining life here on earth.”
Providing 250+ years of real-world experience
The team at Oxidizers Inc is a collective group of professionals that has over 250 years of combined real-world experience in engineering and technology. Its clients include companies in the chemical, printing, food processing, packaging, aerospace, and pharmaceutical industries — to name just a few. The work it does with oxidizer startups, rebuilds, relocations, and upgrades is all focused on optimizing the organization’s performance while minimizing its chemical output.
“Our work in the automotive industry might include working with companies who manufacture electric vehicles,” Lambert explains. “While painting the vehicles, the company must prevent overspray fumes from being released into the atmosphere. We assist them by providing the equipment that thermally treats the dirty air, which is laden with VOCs.”
Thermal oxidizers — sometimes referred to as thermal incinerators — manage VOCs, carbon monoxide, and other volatile hazardous air pollutants that are produced during manufacturing. They use thermal combustion to oxidize the pollutants, converting them into carbon dioxide and water.
“We take our work very seriously, knowing that it impacts people far and wide,” Lambert asserts. “First, you have the impact on the manufacturing facility, where we keep personnel from being exposed to contaminated air. Zoom out from there, and you are addressing the impact on the air quality in local neighborhoods and surrounding areas. Zoom out even further, and you are reducing the impact on the global environment, which has the potential to affect billions of people.”
Increasing efficiency by prioritizing maintenance
Facilities that keep their oxidizers well-tuned increase their efficiency, allowing them to save money while also working to protect the environment. A healthy system that has been properly tuned and maintained by experienced professionals can save organizations hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.
“A thermal oxidizer has burners that need to be tuned to achieve optimal carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide output,” explains Lambert. “To achieve that, however, the firing range must be adjusted as seasons change. Ambient temperatures and relative humidity affect the overall natural gas consumption of the firing ranges. We make sure that all of these factors and others are taken into account to provide our clients with optimal performance.”
Maintenance is another key service that Oxidizers Inc. provides to its clients. The company develops custom-configured preventative maintenance programs that are based on the specific oxidizers that facilities have in use.
“Proper maintenance is extremely impactful,” Lambert shares. “Often, these components are running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round, with only one scheduled maintenance procedure per year. Facilities that are not extremely intentional with their preventative maintenance efforts will find themselves facing costly mechanical issues that most likely could have been avoided.”
Lambert recommends a tool called InCheq to assist facilities in staying on top of their maintenance needs. InCheq is an Industry 4.0 preventative and reactionary platform that leverages IoT technology to track asset performance and automate maintenance.
“For companies that want to track historical data, performance data, and maintenance performed, the tools are now available and verifiable,” Lambert says. “InCheq gives organizations the ability to know what components are present in all of the locations they manage, regardless of where they are located, as well as how they are performing and their current operational state.”
The World Health Organization has highlighted air pollution as a significant health risk, reporting that 99 percent of the global population regularly breathes polluted air. Thanks to the work that Oxidizers Inc. is doing, companies can continue to provide quality products without negatively impacting air quality.
“We are making a real difference in the world when it comes to air quality, and that is incredibly gratifying for us,” Lambert says. “We know the work that we do with the trillions upon trillions of cubic air that’s in our care makes a difference.”
Published By: Aize Perez
