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2011 Corporate Citizenship Report

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NOx and VOC emissions

Contributing to cleaner air is important at each of our sites globally, but it is perhaps most critical at our operations in the North Texas and Houston areas. These areas are not compliant with the U.S. ambient (outdoor) air-quality standards for ozone, an air pollutant also known as smog.

Smog forms when nitrous oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) - commonly emitted by cars, lawnmowers or other combustion devices (including those in manufacturing operations) - are "baked" in the atmosphere during warm months. This produces a haze that can be harmful to humans, plants and animals exposed over long periods of time.

For years, TI's environmental team has taken the initiative to reduce ozone-forming emissions by:
  • Eliminating toxic VOCs in manufacturing processes where feasible and replacing them with more benign but effective substitutes.
  • Using thermal oxidizers, which destroy VOCs in industrial airstreams, to remove pollutants from exhaust produced in manufacturing. Where possible, TI installs rotary concentration thermal oxidizers, which are more energy-efficient in removing VOCs than previously available technology.
  • Using a catalyst to remove VOCs at a lower operating temperature, which lowers NOx emissions by more than 50 percent.
  • Improving the efficiency of facility systems and manufacturing equipment, which reduces energy consumption and the associated upstream power-plant emissions.
  • Upgrading burners in boilers and other natural-gas combustion devices to improve efficiency and reduce emissions.
  • Using ultra-low NOx burners and low-sulfur fuels in our combustion devices where feasible, which produce lower NOx emissions than conventional burners and help reduce ozone formation.
  • Limiting the testing of our North Texas emergency generators and the use of discretionary combustion engines (such as landscaping equipment) during "ozone action" days.
  • Posting signs at facility entrances of our North Texas sites when the air quality that day has been designated as poor. The signs encourage the use of alternative forms of transportation.
These activities have allowed TI to significantly reduce emissions annually. In fact, at our North Campus site (one of our largest), TI has reduced NOx emissions by almost 30 percent in the last five years.

Additionally, TI's Commute Solutions program has successfully reduced the number of employee vehicles commuting on the roads since the 1970s, further reducing smog in the communities where we operate.

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