The basic principle of degasification is to force a column of air up-flow over a thin film or small drops of down-flow water. This procedure will oxidize iron and manganese, allow gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and hydrogen sulfide to escape and to let volatile substances such as phenol vaporize into the moving stream of air.
Because of its multi-functions, the degasifier is sometimes referred to as an aerator or a decarbonator. The degasifier does not remove oxygen or heat water. Therefore, it is not a substitute for a boiler feed-water deaerator. This will extend the operating runs and significantly reduce the load on downstream strong base anion exchangers or deaerators.