System and method for removing volatile vapors from containers

1. A system comprising:

a container containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs);

an enclosed contactor vessel comprising:

a first inlet attached to the container to receive the VOCs;

a second inlet attached to a source for a vapor capture medium;

a pump to draw vapor capture medium from the source through the second inlet;

an interface positioned to contact received VOCs with vapor capture medium received through the second inlet to form a VOC-vapor capture medium mixture; and

an outlet attached to a distillation column;

wherein the distillation column comprises:

an inlet to receive the VOC-vapor capture medium mixture;

a separator to separate the VOC-vapor capture medium mixture into VOCs and recovered vapor capture medium; and

an outlet to provide the recovered vapor capture medium to the vapor capture medium source.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the source for the vapor capture medium provides a methyl ester-based fluid as the vapor capture medium.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the methyl ester-based fluid comprises an oil that is derived from a botanical or animal source.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the methyl ester-based fluid absorbs at least 5% of its own weight in VOCs.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vessel is a first vessel, and further comprising a second vessel cascaded in series with the first vessel.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the second vessel comprises a first inlet to receive the VOC-vapor capture mixture from the first vessel, a second inlet attached to the vapor capture medium source to receive a second vapor capture medium, an interface to combine the VOC-vapor capture mixture with the second vapor capture medium to form a second VOC-vapor capture mixture, and an outlet to provide the second VOC-vapor capture mixture to the distillation column.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the separator separates the VOC-vapor capture medium mixture into VOCs and recovered vapor capture medium by sparging the VOC-vapor capture medium mixture.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the interface comprises a particulatizer provided to substantially uniformly introduce the VOCs received from the container as micro-sized particles in vapor form into the vapor capture medium.

9. A system comprising:

a container containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs);

a vessel comprising:

means for receiving the VOCs from the container;

means for receiving vapor capture medium from a source for the vapor capture medium;

means for drawing vapor capture medium from the source through the means for receiving vapor capture medium;

means for contacting received VOCs with the vapor capture medium received through the means for receiving vapor capture medium to form a VOC-vapor capture medium mixture; and

means for providing the mixture to a distillation column;

the distillation column comprising:

means for receiving the VOC-vapor capture medium mixture;

means for separating the VOC-vapor capture medium mixture into VOCs and recovered vapor capture medium; and

means for providing the vapor capture medium to the vapor capture medium source.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the source for the vapor capture medium provides a methyl ester-based fluid as the vapor capture medium.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the methyl ester-based fluid comprises an oil that is derived from a botanical or animal source.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the methyl ester-based fluid absorbs at least 5% of its own weight in VOCs.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the vessel is a first vessel, and further comprising a second vessel cascaded in series with the first vessel.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the second vessel comprises:

means for receiving the VOC-vapor capture medium from the first vessel;

means for receiving a second vapor capture medium from the source for the vapor capture medium;

means for contacting the VOC-vapor capture medium with the second vapor capture medium to form a second VOC-vapor capture medium mixture; and

means for providing the second VOC-vapor capture medium mixture to a distillation column.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the means for separating includes means for sparging the VOC-vapor capture medium mixture.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the means for contacting comprises a particulatizer provided to substantially uniformly introduce the VOCs received from the container as micro-sized particles in vapor form into the vapor capture medium.