Siloxane removal from landfill and digester gas – A technology overview

This paper reviews technologies for the removal of volatile methyl siloxanes (VMS) from biogas. More than 20 years after identifying silicon dioxide in gas engines running on landfill and sewage gas, three technologies are commercially available to remove siloxanes today: adsorption, absorption and deep chilling. Newer concepts based on technologies other than sorption or condensation have not yet gained access to commercial biogas purification. These emerging siloxane removal concepts include biotrickling filters, catalysts, membranes, and in the case of sewage gas, sludge stripping, peroxidation and filtration at point inlet source. This work introduces the main principles of commercial siloxane removal systems and reviews scientific progress in the field over the last decade.