Effect of sorbent pore volume on the carbonation reaction of lime with CO2

Abstract

The reaction of calcium oxide with carbon dioxide is one of the most important methods for the capture and concentration of greenhouse gas from the flue gases of industrial plants. In this work, the carbonation reaction of CaO obtained from various sources with CO2 was investigated by a thermogravimetric method. These sources include commercial lime or CaO, CaCO3, Ca(OH)2, CaC2O4.H2O, a synthesized nanoporous sorbent, limestone and acetic acid washed limestone. The effect of structural parameters of the sorbents on the reactivity and CO2 capture capacity were studied using pore size distribution data. Also, the changes in the solid texture during the carbonation reaction were investigated. It was found that there is a direct relation between the pore volume of the sorbents and their reactivity. It was found that sintering is one of the main reasons for decreased activity in the carbonation/calcination cycles.