A Catalytic Route to CO2 Capture in Carbonate Solutions

UW ID: 18-024

 

Description of Technology

          In order to reduce CO2 emissions, capture and storage has been considered as one of the most promising technologies because it not only reduces the emissions, but can create a secondary revenue stream with the CO2 as a product. The leading technology today is using monoethanolamine (MEA) as a sorbent to capture CO2 in a liquid form. Structural modifications to this technology have been proven to decrease the cost, but because MEA is a toxic and carcinogenic compound, these modifications do not meet environmental and health/safety goals that are necessary. Potassium carbonate solution is a potential replacement for MEA in sorbent-based CO2 capture because it is benign to both humans and the environment and is cheaper than MEA. The main problem with it is that by itself it has slow reaction kinetics which hinders its ability to act as a practical reagent.

          Researchers at the University of Wyoming have been working with potassium carbonate in order to try and make it a viable sorbent. They have found that with the addition of titanium oxyhydroxide and activated carbon, the absorbed amount of CO2 increased by 150% and the desorption of CO2 increased by 1,100%. These increases allow the desorption temperatures to be low enough that the reaction can proceed with cheap, if not free, recycled heat sources. This can make the new CO2 capture approach extremely efficient and selective.

 

Applications

          This technology can be used to help reduce emissions from coal fired power plants. It does so very efficiently so that waste heat can be used to power the process.

 

Features and Benefits

• Environmentally friendly by being benign to humans and the environment

• CO2 absorption amount increased by 150%

• CO2 desorption amount increased by 1,100%

• Brings down desorption temperatures enough to use recycled heat

 

Downloadable PDF: 18-024

Inventors: 

Maohong Fan
Sam Toan
Qinghua Lai

 

Patent Status:  

Patent Pending

 

Contact Us: 

University of Wyoming Technology Transfer and Research Products Center 

Dept. 3672

1000 E. University Ave. 

Laramie, WY 

82071 

Phone: 307-766-2520

Fax: 307-766-2530

Email: WyomingInvents@uwyo.edu