packed scrubber

technology

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Last updated

July 23, 2026

Quick Summary

A packed scrubber is a technology used in air pollution control to remove gaseous pollutants from an airstream. It functions through absorption, where a liquid absorbent captures the pollutant.

In a packed scrubber, the polluted air flows upward through a column filled with packing material that is kept wet by a liquid absorbent flowing downward. This design maximizes the contact area between the gas and liquid, allowing for efficient transfer of pollutants from the air into the liquid. These scrubbers are commonly used in industries like fertilizer production, glass manufacturing, and chemical plants to remove specific harmful gases. Packed scrubbers typically achieve gas removal efficiencies of 90–95 percent.1

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air pollution control
Wet scrubbers and packed scrubbers
Cocurrent and cross-flow packed scrubber designs are also used for gas absorption. In the cocurrent design, both gas and liquid flow in the same direction—vertically downward through the scrubber. Although not as efficient as countercurrent designs, cocurrent devices can work at higher liquid flow rates. The increased flow…
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Cocurrent and cross-flow packed scrubber designs are also used for gas absorption. In the cocurrent design, both gas and liquid flow in the same direction—vertically downward through the scrubber. Although not as efficient as countercurrent designs, cocurrent devices can work at higher liquid flow rates. The increased flow…
Read More