100+ YEARS OF INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY HERITAGE
facts | figures | milestones
a century of industrial technology
built into DEC today
DEC brings 100+ years of industrial technology heritage to the engineering of Air Pollution Control systems. From the early development of activated-carbon solvent recovery to today's integrated APC technologies, DEC has continuously built on its own industrial experience to solve demanding emission-control challenges.
This is a heritage of technology, engineering and industrial execution. It is visible in the technologies DEC has developed, the plants it has delivered and the expertise that continues to shape its solutions today. The DEC name stands for a proven ability to turn complex emission streams into engineered, workable and valuable industrial solutions.
Heritage, engineering and proof
Facts that put the heritage in context
DEC's industrial heritage is backed by current project experience, international reach and a broad technology portfolio.
Projects delivered
Industrial projects across solvent recovery, VOC concentration, thermal oxidation and complementary Air Pollution Control systems.
Countries served
International project experience supported by DEC's distributed network of facilities, partners and local organizations.
Established industrial markets
Including flexible packaging, converting, coating, chemical, petrochemical and pharmaceutical applications.
Years of industrial technology heritage
Accumulated process knowledge, technology development and engineering experience applied to increasingly complex emission streams.
100+ years of industrial technology heritage
DEC's technology lineage traces back to the 1920s and the early development of activated-carbon solvent recovery. The timeline below shows how that heritage expanded through solvent recovery, dehydration, energy recovery, VOC concentration and thermal oxidation, leading to today's integrated Air Pollution Control portfolio.
Heritage converted into industrial strength
DEC is proud of its technology lineage because it has practical consequences: a broader engineering perspective, a stronger technology portfolio and the confidence to tackle demanding industrial emission streams.
Recover what has value
DEC's solvent recovery heritage remains central to its industrial identity, with activated-carbon recovery technology spanning steam, inert-gas and vacuum approaches.
Explore DEC.SRU™ →Concentrate what is dilute
DEC extends its emission-control architecture with concentration systems for dilute VOC streams, including rotary, static and fluidized-bed approaches.
Explore DEC.XBC™ →Oxidize what is not recoverable
DEC's thermal oxidation portfolio addresses non-recoverable VOC and HAP streams through direct, regenerative and catalytic technologies.
Explore DEC.XTO™ →Engineer the whole pathway
DEC can integrate recovery, concentration, oxidation and complementary treatment around the actual emission stream rather than forcing the project into a standard equipment package.
Explore DEC technologies →The people and capabilities behind the DEC name
DEC's global workforce brings together engineering, laboratory, automation, analytics and technical-service capabilities across the lifecycle of industrial emission-control systems. The Group's expertise spans chemical, mechanical, electrical, environmental and civil engineering.
Engineering
Process, applications, environmental, mechanical, thermal and project engineering built around the actual emission stream.
DEC ENGINEERING →Technology development
Laboratory capability supporting application testing, solvent recovery, adsorption and industrial emission-control technology.
DEC LAB →Automation & data
Automation, control architecture, monitoring and data-driven support for reliable operation and lifecycle optimization.
DEC AUTOMATION →
Have an industrial emission-control challenge?
Bring the process and emission-stream information you already have. DEC's Technical Sales & Applications Engineering team can clarify the data, discuss the treatment objective and identify the appropriate next step.
FAQs • Frequently Asked Questions
Clear answers on DEC's heritage, technology milestones and industrial capabilities.
How far back does DEC's industrial technology heritage go?
DEC has 100+ years of industrial technology heritage, with activated-carbon technology and early solvent-recovery applications tracing back to the 1920s.
Which is the oldest traceable Solvent Recovery Unit?
The oldest traceable Solvent Recovery dates back to the mid-1920s. Long before sustainability became a fashionable term, DEC's technology heritage was already focused on recovering valuable solvents, reducing emissions and putting industrial resources back to work.
What was DEC's first major solvent recovery milestone for flexible packaging?
In 1971, the timeline records the first worldwide large activated-carbon solvent recovery system, steam-regenerated, for Ethyl Acetate (ETAC). DEC later expanded its flexible-packaging solvent recovery lineage with a multi-solvent SRU in 1997.
When did DEC introduce inert gas regenerated solvent recovery?
The milestone timeline records 1982 as the first worldwide activated-carbon inert gas regenerated recovery system, branded DEC.SRU_RSF™, for Ethyl Acetate.
When did DEC introduce nitrogen-regenerated solvent recovery?
The milestone timeline records 1988 as the first worldwide activated-carbon nitrogen-regenerated recovery system, branded DEC.SRU_RSG™, coupled with DEC.ADM_MSU™ for Ethyl Acetate.
What Air Pollution Control technologies does DEC offer today?
DEC's current portfolio includes solvent recovery, VOC concentration, thermal oxidation, dehydration, distillation, scrubbing, filtration, energy recovery, flow optimization, technical gases, technical support services and bulk specialty materials.
How many people work at DEC and what is their expertise?
DEC has a global workforce of about 300 people, skilled in the design, engineering and construction of industrial plants, spanning chemical, mechanical, electrical, environmental and civil engineering. Meet DEC's people →
How does DEC turn heritage into current project capability?
DEC combines accumulated process knowledge with process-led technology selection, multidisciplinary engineering and turn-key project delivery. Its current reference portfolio includes 2,500+ projects delivered across 50+ countries.
How can I start an industrial emission-control project with DEC?
You can contact DEC's Technical Sales & Applications Engineering team to discuss your process, emission stream, treatment objective and project requirements.
Search DEC technologies, processes and references
