by dirktheeng » Mon Dec 12, 2011 11:38 pm
It is possible to use a carbon filter and/or a zeolite material to scrub the air, but you have to know your concentrations, gases, flow rates very well. I have designed and engineered these things for our lab when we couldn't install a regular fume hood. The thing is that you can't really be sure that the thing is being effective without a gas monitor on the outlet. I would NOT do this without that... you could be poisoning yourself and you wouldn't know it. Plus, to be effective, it is VERY VERY expensive and the operating costs are not low either as the material has to be replaced regularly.
A more practical solution is an air to air heat exchanger, but again you really want to be sure that it is air tight to make sure that you aren't getting bypass back into the room. I would just pay the heat bill... you don't run this thing all that much.