Advanced Carbon Capture Research Articles

Energy, exergy, environmental and economic analysis of solvent-based post-combustion carbon capture for ethylene production

Ethylene production is an energy-intensive process with significant CO2 emissions. As demand for ethylene rises, integrating carbon capture technology in ethylene plants is crucial for mitigating emissions. This study provides a thermodynamic, exergy, comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) and economic analysis of post-combustion carbon capture (PCC) for large-scale ethylene plants using chemical absorption with 30 wt% monoethanolamine (MEA) and 40 wt% piperazine (PZ) as solvent. In addition, a case study involving the integration of solar-assisted post-combustion carbon capture (SPCC) and photovoltaic (PV) power generation with ethylene production is built to evaluate future CO2 emission reduction potential. The results show that 0.98 tons of CO2 are captured per ton of ethylene, potentially reducing life cycle CO2 emissions by 30.3% to 68.9% for different PCC scenarios. Integrating SPCC and PV significantly reduces CO2 emissions, highlighting the potential of solar power in carbon reduction. Furthermore, feedstock acquisition of ethylene production emits large amount of greenhouse gas (GHG), indicating that low-carbon feedstock production can further reduce life cycle GHG emissions. This work is significant for the ethylene industry’s low-carbon transition and clean production, offering insights into enhancing sustainability and environmental performance through advanced carbon capture technologies and renewable energy integration.

Artificial intelligence‐driven sustainability: Enhancing carbon capture for sustainable development goals– A review

AbstractArtificial intelligence (AI) and environmental points are equally important components within the response to local weather change. Therefore, based on the efforts of reducing carbon emissions more efficiently and effectively, this study tries to focus on AI integration with carbon capture technology. The urgency of tackling climate change means we need more advanced carbon capture, and this is an area where AI can make a huge impact in how these technologies are operated and managed. It will minimize manufacturing emissions and improve both resource efficiency as well as our planet's environmental footprint by turning waste into something of value again. Artificial intelligence could be leveraged to analyze huge data sets from carbon capture plants, searching for optimal system settings and more efficient ways of identifying patterns in the available information at a larger scale than currently possible. In addition, AI incorporated sensors and monitoring mechanisms in the supply chain can identify any operational failure at reception itself allowing for timely action to protect those areas. Artificial intelligence also helps generative design for carbon capture materials, which allows researchers to explore new types of carbon‐absorbing material, including metal–organic frameworks and polymeric materials that are important in industrial CO2, such as moisture. In addition, it increases the accuracy of reservoir simulations and controls CO2 injection systems for storage or enhanced oil recovery. Through applying AI algorithms on reservoir geology, production performance and real‐time data this study would like to facilitate the optimization of injection processes as well as minimize CO2 emissions while assuring a maximum efficiency. Artificial intelligence integrates with renewable‐based carbon capture efforts that can be employed by AI‐driven smart grid systems to improve carbon capture methods.

Carbon Dioxide Solubility in Three Bis Tri (Fluromethylsulfonyl) Imide-Based Ionic Liquids.

This study delves into the necessity of mitigating carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, focusing on effective capture methods to combat global warming by investigating the solubility of CO2 in three ionic liquids (ILs), 1-Decyl-3-MethylimidazoliumBis (Trifluromethylsulfonyl Imide) [IL1], 1-Hexadecyl-3-Methyl imidazoliumBis (Trifluromethylsulfonyl Imide) [IL2] and Triethytetradecyl Ammonium Bis (Trifluromethylsulfonyl Imide) [IL3]. Solubility experiments were conducted at (30, 50 and 70) °C with pressures up to 1.5 MPa. The research shows [IL2] as the superior candidate for CO2 capture, with its longer alkyl chain, and is confirmed by its lower Henry's Law constant. Utilizing the Peng Robinson equation of state, the study correlates well with the solubility measurements using three mixing rules. The study reveals promising results for IL1, IL2 and IL3 surpassing all other published ionic liquids including Selexol/Genesorb 1753, except for 1-Methyl-3-octylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide. Insights into the enthalpy and entropy of absorption underscore the significant impact of IL structure on CO2 solubility, emphasizing the potential of tailored ILs for advanced carbon capture strategies. In summary, this research highlights [IL2] as the optimal choice for CO2 capture, offering valuable contributions to the ongoing efforts in combating climate change.

Recent advancements in the application of electrospun nanofibers for carbon dioxide capture and utilization

The escalating CO2 emissions in recent years underlined the need for advanced Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) technologies. This context has spurred the exploration of novel materials for promoting CCU efficiency, among which electrospun nanofibers have emerged as a promising candidate. Electrospinning coupled with various post-treatment (such as heat-treating, in-situ growth, selective removal, etc.) offers a versatile approach to fabricate diverse nanofibers, including polymeric, carbonaceous, metallic, and composite fibers, with tunable surface morphologies and chemical properties. This paper provides a comprehensive review of electrospun nanofibers in CCU processes, including adsorption, membrane separation and absorption, electrochemical and photo-electrochemical reduction, thermal catalytic hydrogenation, and more. Each CCU technology is examined in depth to cover the recent research achievements with a specific focus on the contributions of electrospun nanofibers. Lastly, a critical discussion and a list of potential future research directions for this evolving field are provided.

Seasonal tourism's impact on wastewater composition: Evaluating the potential of alternating activated adsorption in primary treatment

Primary treatment processes have gained attention in recent research and development due to their potential for redirecting carbon towards anaerobic digestion, which can subsequently be used for the production of biomethane. The alternating activated adsorption (AAA) process is implemented on full-scale at several wastewater treatment plants across Europe. However, there is a lack of full-scale studies of advanced carbon capture technology implementations in literature. This study demonstrates the ability of a full-scale AAA process to remove and redirect carbon in a region heavily influenced by tourism. Periods in high and off-season were compared to study the impact of tourism on the composition of the wastewater and the AAA-process. The wastewater characteristics of the high season differed significantly from the low season. During the high season, the PE increased by 37 %, total suspended solids went up by 75 % and chemical oxygen demand increased by 58 %, compared to the low season. Additionally, 80 % of the low volatile lipophilic substances (LVLS) measured were attributed to the impact of tourism. A mass-balance of primary treatment for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and LVLS was conducted for both trial periods. The primary treatment was able to eliminate 56 % of the COD and 62 % of the LVLS in the non-tourist season and 53 % of the COD and 54 % of the LVLS in the tourist season. The increased wastewater load was effectively managed in the AAA-process. Key process parameters like sludge settling characteristics, hydraulic retention time and total suspended solids removal rates remained stable during the high season in winter.

Using halloysite nanotubes modified by tetraethylenepentamine for advanced carbon capture: Experimental and modeling via RSM and ANNs

In this research, halloysite nanotube was studied as a natural adsorbent for CO2 capture. The sorbents were prepared by the impregnation of several amounts of tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA)(10, 20, 30, and 40 wt%) on IMSiNTs support. Carbon dioxide adsorption was studied with the help of artificial neural network modeling and response surface methodology, and the effects of parameters were determined. Using the surface response method (RSM) simulation technique, the model obtained a suitable orientation to optimize the effective parameters in the process to select the best combination of operating conditions, and the adsorption capacity was measured in the temperature range of 20∼50 °C and at pressures of 1∼9 bar via tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA)-functionalized pristine nanotubes of halloysite (HNTs). Artificial neural network modeling was used to predict the adsorption process. The multi-layer perceptron (MLP) and radial-based function (RBF) models using different algorithms were investigated. According to the optimization process of the neurons in the MLP structure, the number of neurons in the first hidden layer was 25, and in the second hidden layer was 5. In addition, in RBF, there was a single hidden layer in which the number of neurons was 30. Response surfaces were created using the central composite design and a correlation coefficient of 0.992 based on a quadratic model was used. The CO2 capture experimental and simulation results were found to agree competently. A value of 9.3041 mmol/g at 9 bar and the temperature of 20 °C resulted in the maximum amount of CO2 adsorption capacity.

Advances in electrolyzer design and development for electrochemical CO2 reduction

AbstractIn view of global energy transition and environmental issues, electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) to high value‐added chemicals by using clean renewable electricity, as an advanced carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technology, demonstrates a promising approach to reach the carbon neutrality with additional economic benefits as well. Over the past decade, various new valid catalysts in electrochemical CO2 reduction (ECO2R) have been designed and intensively investigated. Unfortunately, constructing appropriate ECO2R electrolyzer with high conversion rate and long‐term stability to unleash the full potential benefits of electrocatalysts remains a recognized challenge, especially as it has not yet attracted attention. This review summarizes the progress of ECO2R reactor and their corresponding structure characteristics/ electrochemical performance. Besides, the current challenges and bottlenecks of CO2RR reactor are discussed. We aim to introduce the advances in ECO2R electrolyzer in detail to offer enlightenment for large‐scale industrial application of ECO2R.image

Explainable machine learning for carbon dioxide adsorption on porous carbon

The ever-increasing carbon emission requires the development of advanced carbon capture and storage technology. As one of the most promising approaches, the adsorption of CO2 over porous carbon (PC) has been intensively studied due to the low cost, easy synthesis, and high adsorption capacity of PC. However, further improvement in its CO2 adsorption capacity is hindered by the unclear relationship between each physicochemical property and the adsorption capacity. Recently machine learning (ML) has achieved giant progress in predicting the adsorption capacity of PCs. However, due to the intrinsic “black box” property of ML, the quantitative relationship between each physicochemical property and corresponding adsorption capacity cannot be derived. Herein, first random forest was well trained to predict the CO2 adsorption capacity. Then, Shapley Additive Explanations, a powerful visualization tool, was adopted to provide insights into such an uncovered relationship. The results showed that textural property is more important than chemical composition in affecting CO2 uptake. Furthermore, SHAP indicated that high CO2 adsorption capacity appeared at low pressure, temperature of 298 K with specific surface area of 1100–1300 m2/g, micropore volume of 0.4–0.6 cm3/g, mesopore volume of < 0.1 cm2/g, carbon of 72–86 wt%, hydrogen of 1–4 wt%, oxygen of < 16 wt%, and nitrogen of < 1 wt%. This study sheds light on the understanding of the CO2 adsorption mechanism on PC and guides the design of next-generation high-performance PC for carbon capture and storage.

Towards carbon neutrality: what has been done and what needs to be done for carbon emission reduction?

Carbon emissions embodied in anthropogenic activities represent the major cause of global warming. Countries, regions, and cities have implemented comprehensive, multi-level and multi-scale measures to reduce emissions and move towards carbon neutrality. The demand for carbon emission reduction (CER) is made more challenging by different geographical locations, country-owned natural resources, and economic development stages. The main objectives of this paper are to conduct a bibliometric analysis to map the frontiers and directions of CER and to explore the paths and development models of CER from the perspective of spatio-temporal, multi-scale, multi-sectoral, and multi-responsible subjects. This study reveals that carbon emission evaluation and prediction, correlation and causal relationship analysis, and CER-related policy simulation and optimization are the most critical hotspots. Additionally, we point out the shortcomings of and future developments for the three study dimensions above. The bibliometric analysis also highlights the fact that a cooperative global value chain as well as amendable policies and mechanisms for CER will help with climate change mitigation and adaptation through the use of advanced carbon capture and storage technologies. We review the technical measures for and policy responses to CER adopted by different countries and industries at the theoretical and practical levels and provide new recommendations. Our work provides important information for climate actions in different countries and sectors and for developing more effective CER strategies and policies.

Air plasma assisted spray coating of Pebax-1657 thin-film composite membranes for post-combustion CO2 capture

With recent focus on achieving carbon neutrality to tackle global warming, there is an increasing need for advanced carbon capture technology to reduce carbon emission to the atmosphere. Membrane separation is one of such technologies that can remove carbon dioxide (CO2) in an energy-efficient and cost-effective way. In particular, the well-studied thin-film composite (TFC) membranes based on commercial polyethylene oxide (PEO)-containing materials have demonstrated strong promise for large-scale industrial post-combustion CO2 capture. However, to realize high-performance PEO-based TFC membranes, a key challenge lies in maximizing the reduction in the thickness of the selective layer without compromising membrane integrity, which to date has achieved little progress probably due to the failure in addressing the poor selective/gutter layer interfacial compatibility issue. Here, we adopted a facile spray coating method to design a TFC membrane comprising an ultrathin Pebax-1657 selective layer, a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) gutter layer, and a porous polysulfone (PSF) substrate. To increase surface hydrophilicity and wettability for enhancing interfacial compatibility between the selective and gutter layers, the surface of the PDMS gutter layer was activated for a few seconds by air plasma prior to Pebax-1657 spray coating. Coupled with well-controlled spray coating manipulation, a defect-free Pebax-1657 selective layer with an ultrathin thickness as low as 30 nm could be formed. Correspondingly, the optimized TFC membrane exhibited a highest CO2 permeance at 2022 GPU with a CO2/N2 selectivity of close to 30.0, far surpassing the threshold for commercially viable post-combustion CO2 capture (CO2 permeance ≥1000 GPU and CO2/N2 selectivity ≥20). More importantly, the use of spray coating endows the TFC design with great scalability potential, rendering our membranes, which are made solely from commercially available materials, highly relevant for industrial CO2 separation.

The Work and Preliminary Results of the C4u Project on Advanced Carbon Capture for Steel Industries Integrated in Ccus Clusters

The Work and Preliminary Results of the C4u Project on Advanced Carbon Capture for Steel Industries Integrated in Ccus Clusters

Isomeric sp2-C-conjugated porous organic polymer-mediated photo- and sono-catalytic detoxification of sulfur mustard simulant under ambient conditions

Isomeric sp2-C-conjugated porous organic polymer-mediated photo- and sono-catalytic detoxification of sulfur mustard simulant under ambient conditions

U.S. DOE/NETL large pilot-scale testing of advanced carbon capture technologies

The mission of the United States (U.S.) Department of Energy/National Energy Technology Laboratory (DOE/NETL) Carbon Capture Program is to develop the next generation of advanced CO2 capture concepts for the power-generation sector. The Carbon Capture Program employs a down-selection process that graduates technologies from a large portfolio of laboratory/bench-scale projects to a smaller set of small-scale pilot projects and eventually to an even smaller group of large-scale pilot projects. At every scale, computer simulation plays a significant role in guiding experimental efforts and accelerating the overall pace of technology development. This down-selection process serves to de-risk industrial investment, given that there is insufficient information generated at the laboratory/bench scale to confidently predict eventual commercial success.The Carbon Capture Program is currently engaged in efforts to advance the next generation of capture technologies to large pilot scale. Three capture technologies have been awarded Phase I projects in a competition to build large-scale pilots for advanced energy and post combustion capture systems. In addition, six capture technologies are working toward large-scale pilot testing at Technology Center Mongstad in Norway. Advances along three innovation pathways—materials, processes, and equipment—have been critical in preparing these technologies for large pilot-scale testing.This paper describes the approach that is being followed by the Carbon Capture Program to advance the technologies and provides brief descriptions of the technical innovations that have prepared individual technologies for large pilot-scale testing.

An overview of the Department of Energy's CarbonSAFE Initiative: Moving CCUS toward commercialization

AbstractThe U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) Carbon Storage Program helps develop technologies that safely and permanently store carbon dioxide (CO2) without adversely impacting natural resources or hindering economic growth. Since 1997, the program has significantly advanced carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) science and technology, with more than 10.5 million metric tons (MMT) of CO2 safely stored. However, key gaps in experience and knowledge remain (e.g., the technology, expertise, and processes needed to safely characterize and monitor 50+ MMT‐scale geologic CO2 storage sites). DOE's Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise (CarbonSAFE) Initiative (launched in FY16) is beginning to address this gap. The CarbonSAFE Initiative currently consists of 13 projects in Phase I: Integrated Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Pre‐Feasibility and six projects in Phase II: Storage Complex Feasibility. This article includes the latest updates from the CarbonSAFE Initiative.

Life cycle global warming impact of CO2 capture by in-situ gasification chemical looping combustion using ilmenite oxygen carriers

In-situ gasification chemical looping combustion (iG-CLC), which has been tested on pilot plant level, is regarded as an advanced carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology for reducing CO2 emissions. A life cycle global warming impact (GWI) analysis is performed to consider the lifetime emissions of the low-carbon iG-CLC technology. Herein, the capacity is considered to be 610 MWe using natural ilmenite as oxygen carrier and steam as gasification agent. At the condition of operational pressure of 15 atm and air reactor temperature of 1050 °C, the net power efficiency of 37.7% for achieving 93.5% inherent CO2 capture is obtained in simulations with thermodynamically optimum condition. The life cycle GWI is calculated equal to be 160.3 kg CO2-equivalent/MW h. The effects of several essential parameters, including steam to carbon ratio (S/C), oxygen carrier to fuel ratio (ф), different oxygen carriers and lifetime of oxygen carriers, on the lifecycle GWI have been analyzed and discussed to meet the potential possibility for further reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To obtain sufficient carbon capture efficiency, the S/C ratio and ф are suggested to be 1.3 and 1.2 in this study, respectively. The life cycle GWI is heavily dependent on lifetime of ferrum (Fe) when it is less than 2000 h, beyond that range, the GWI is decreasing, but very slowly.

A Technical and Economic Assessment of Advanced Carbon Capture Technologies

A Technical and Economic Assessment of Advanced Carbon Capture Technologies

Carbon Dioxide in a Supported Ionic Liquid Membrane: Structural and Rotational Dynamics Measured with 2D IR and Pump-Probe Experiments.

Supported ionic liquid membranes (SILMs) are porous membranes impregnated with ionic liquids (ILs) and used as advanced carbon capture materials. Here, two-dimensional infrared (2D IR) and IR polarization selective pump-probe (PSPP) spectroscopies were used to investigate CO2 reorientation and spectral diffusion dynamics in SILMs. The SILM contained 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonly)imide in the poly(ether sulfone) membrane with average pore size of ∼350 nm. Two ensembles of CO2 were observed in the SILM, one in the IL phase in the membrane pores and the other in the supporting membrane polymer. CO2 in the polymer displayed a red-shifted IR absorption spectrum and a shorter vibrational lifetime of the asymmetric stretch mode compared to the IL phase. Despite the relatively large pore sizes, the complete orientational randomization of CO2 and structural fluctuations of the IL (spectral diffusion) in the pores are slower than in the bulk IL by ∼2-fold. The implication is that the IL structural change induced by the polymer interface can propagate out from the interface more than a hundred nanometers, influencing the dynamics. The dynamics in the polymer are even slower. This study demonstrates that there are significant differences in the dynamics of ILs in SILMs on a molecular level compared to the bulk IL, and the study of dynamics in SILMs can provide important information for the design of SILMs for CO2 capture.

Structure–Thermodynamic‐Property Relationships in Cyanovinyl‐Based Microporous Polymer Networks for the Future Design of Advanced Carbon Capture Materials

Nitrogen‐rich solid absorbents, which have been immensely tested for carbon dioxide capture, seem until this date to be without decisive molecular engineering or design rules. Here, a family of cyanovinylene‐based microporous polymers synthesized under metal‐catalyzed conditions is reported as a promising candidate for advanced carbon capture materials. These networks reveal that isosteric heats of CO2 adsorption are directly proportional to the amount of their functional group. Motivated by this finding, polymers produced under base‐catalyzed conditions with tailored quantities of cyanovinyl content confirm the systematical tuning of their sorption enthalpies to reach 40 kJ mol−1. This value is among the highest reported to date in carbonaceous networks undergoing physisorption. A six‐point‐plot reveals that the structure–thermodynamic‐property relationship is linearly proportional and can thus be perfectly fitted to tailor‐made values prior to experimental measurements. Dynamic simulations show a bowl‐shaped region within which CO2 is able to sit and interact with its conjugated surrounding, while theoretical calculations confirm the increase of binding sites with the increase of PhCC(CN)Ph functionality in a network. This concept presents a distinct method for the future design of carbon dioxide capturing materials.

Dynamics of a Room Temperature Ionic Liquid in Supported Ionic Liquid Membranes vs the Bulk Liquid: 2D IR and Polarized IR Pump-Probe Experiments.

Supported ionic liquid membranes (SILMs) are membranes that have ionic liquids impregnated in their pores. SILMs have been proposed for advanced carbon capture materials. Two-dimensional infrared (2D IR) and polarization selective IR pump-probe (PSPP) techniques were used to investigate the dynamics of reorientation and spectral diffusion of the linear triatomic anion, SeCN-, in poly(ether sulfone) (PES) membranes and room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (EmimNTf2). The dynamics in the bulk EmimNTf2 were compared to its dynamics in the SILM samples. Two PES membranes, PES200 and PES30, have pores with average sizes, ∼300 nm and ∼100 nm, respectively. Despite the relatively large pore sizes, the measurements reveal that the reorientation of SeCN- and the RTIL structural fluctuations are substantially slower in the SILMs than in the bulk liquid. The complete orientational randomization, slows from 136 ps in the bulk to 513 ps in the PES30. 2D IR measurements yield three time scales for structural spectral diffusion (SSD), that is, the time evolution of the liquid structure. The slowest decay constant increases from 140 ps in the bulk to 504 ps in the PES200 and increases further to 1660 ps in the PES30. The results suggest that changes at the interface propagate out and influence the RTIL structural dynamics even more than a hundred nanometers from the polymer surface. The differences between the IL dynamics in the bulk and in the membranes suggest that studies of bulk RTIL properties may be poor guides to their use in SILMs in carbon capture applications.

Using Modern Solid-State Analytical Tools for Investigations of an Advanced Carbon Capture Material: Experiments for the Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory

A simple and straightforward synthesis of an ultrastable porous metal–organic framework (MOF) based on copper(II) and a mixed N donor ligand system is described as a laboratory experiment for chemistry undergraduate students. These experiments and the resulting analysis are designed to teach students basic research tools and procedures while emphasizing one of the most challenging environmental issues we are facing as a society: reduction of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions, and potential technologies that may achieve this. The described experiments take advantage of modern solid-state analytical tools, such as powder X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and gas sorption, to characterize the properties of this particular MOF. The adsorption studies, performed volumetrically and gravimetrically, both have simple experimental setups and enable the students to critically interpret and compare their results. Most importantly, students are required to question structure–property relationships i...