CO2 capture using solid sorbents

Abstract

Global warming and climate change due to the emission of greenhouse gases, especially CO2, has become a widespread concern in the recent years. Capturing CO2 is one of the major approaches to tackle this issue. Among the currently available CO2 capture technologies, adsorption processes using solid sorbents capable of capturing CO2 have shown many advantages. In the past few years, many groups have been engaged in the development of new solid sorbents for CO2 capture with superior performance and desirable economics. The main purpose of this chapter is to provide a bridge between detailed technical reports and broad resource and economic assessments on CO2 capture using solid sorbents. The fundamental aspects of solid sorbents for CO2 capture are firstly discussed, which include both the selection and the evaluation of sorbents. The following characteristics of solid sorbents are covered: the equilibrium adsorption capacity, selectivity, adsorption/desorption kinetics, multicycle durability, mechanical properties, hydrothermal and chemical stability, and energy consumption of regeneration. Typical families of solid sorbents such as activated carbonaceous materials, polymeric materials, zeolites, silica, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and alkali-metal carbonate loaded with or without functionality for the adsorption of CO2 are then reviewed, respectively. In addition, a brief review on technical challenges and pilot plant developments are presented. Finally, a few recommendations are provided for further research efforts on CO2 capture with solid sorbents.