Hydrate-based carbon dioxide capture from simulated integrated gasification combined cycle gas

The equilibrium hydrate formation conditions for CO2/H2 gas mixtures with different CO2 concentrations in 0.29 mol% TBAB aqueous solution are firstly measured.The results illustrate that the equilibrium hydrate formation pressure increases remarkably with the decrease of CO2 concentration in the gas mixture.Based on the phase equilibrium data,a three stages hydrate CO2 separation from integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) synthesis gas is investigated.Because the separation efficiency is quite low for the third hydrate separation,a hybrid CO2 separation process of two hydrate stages in conjunction with one chemical absorption process (absorption with MEA) is proposed and studied.The experimental results show H2 concentration in the final residual gas released from the three stages hydrate CO2 separation process was approximately 95.0 mol% while that released from the hybrid CO2 separation process was approximately 99.4 mol%.Thus,the hybrid process is possible to be a promising technology for the industrial application in the future.     

Novel fixed‐site–carrier polyvinylamine membrane for carbon dioxide capture

Fixed‐site–carrier membranes were prepared for the facilitated transport of CO₂ by casting polyvinylamine (PVAm) on various supports, such as poly(ether sulfone) (PES), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), cellulose acetate (CA), and polysulfone (PSO). The cast PVAm on the support was crosslinked by various methods with glutaraldehyde, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, and ammonium fluoride. Among the membranes tested, the PVAm cast on polysulfone and crosslinked by ammonium fluoride showed the highest selectivity of CO₂ over CH₄ (>1000). The permeance of CO₂ was then measured to be 0.014 m³ (STP)/(m² bar h) for a 20 μm thick membrane. The effect of the molecular weight of PVAm and feed pressure on the permeance was also investigated. The selectivity increased remarkably with increasing molecular weight and decreased slightly with increased pressure in the range of 1 to 4 bar. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 4326–4336, 2004     

A novel acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene/poly(ethylene glycol) membrane: preparation,characterization, and gas permeation study

Polymeric membranes were prepared by blending different grades of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as the added polymer with acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene as the backbone structure. The membranes were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, X‐ray diffractometry, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and scanning electron microscopy. Furthermore, the gas permeation and separation properties of CO₂/CH₄ were studied. In addition, the effect of pressure (1–8 bar) and the effect of PEG content (0–40 wt%) on CO₂ and CH₄ permeability/selectivity were investigated. The results showed that, in more cases, with the introduction of PEG molecules, CO₂/CH₄ selectivity increases without significant changes in CH₄ permeability, indicating that the incorporation of intermolecular interaction is suitable for the separation of gas pairs with no molecular size domination but the solution–diffusion. From the viewpoint of gas separation applications, the resultant data are in the commercially attractive region. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The production of carbon nanotubes from carbon dioxide: challenges and opportunities

Recent advances in the production of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are reviewed with an emphasis on the use of carbon dioxide (CO2) as a sole source of carbon. Compared to the most widely used carbon precursors such as graphite, methane, acetylene, ethanol, ethylene, and coal-derived hydrocarbons, CO2 is competitively cheaper with relatively high carbon yield content. However, CNT synthesis from CO2 is a newly emerging technology, and hence it needs to be explored further. A theoretical and analytical comparison of the currently existing CNT-CO2 synthesis techniques is given including a review of some of the process parameters (i.e., temperature, pressure, catalyst, etc.) that affect the CO2 reduction rate. Such analysis indicates that there is still a fundamental need to further explore the following aspects so as to realize the full potential of CO2 based CNT technology: (1) the CNT-CO2 synthesis and formation mechanism, (2) catalytic effects of transitional metals and mechanisms, (3) utilization of metallocenes in the CNT-CO2 reactions, (4) applicability of ferrite-organometallic compounds in the CNT-CO2 synthesis reactions, and (5) the effects of process parameters such as temperature, etc.     

Preparation and characterization of TiO2/Pebax/(PSf‐PES) thin film nanocomposite membrane for humic acid removal from water

New thin film composite (TFC) membrane was prepared via coating of Pebax on PSf‐PES blend membrane as support, and its application in wastewater treatment was investigated. To modify this membrane, hydrophilic TiO₂ nanoparticles were coated on its surface at different loadings via dip coating technique. The as‐prepared membrane was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), field emission SEM, and contact angle analysis. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis and surface SEM images indicated that TiO₂ was successfully coated on the membrane surface. In addition, the results stated that the hydrophilicity and roughness of membrane surface increased by addition of TiO₂ nanoparticles. Performance of TFC and modified TFC membranes was evaluated through humic acid removal from aqueous solution. Maximum permeate flux and humic acid rejection were obtained at 0.03 and 0.01 wt% TiO₂ loadings, respectively. Rejection was enhanced from 96.38% to 98.92% by the increase of feed concentration from 10 to 30 ppm. Additionally, membrane antifouling parameters at different pressures and feed concentration were determined. The results indicated that surface modification of membranes could be an effective method for improvement of membrane antifouling property.     

Comparison of purification processes of natural gas obtained from three different regions in the world

Natural gases obtained from different regions in the world as Scholen-Germany, Saudi Arabia and Iran were purified with a package code and the obtained results were compared in this study. For purification process, both natural gases flowing in a vertical pipe and monoethanolamine (MEA) flowing as a film from the internal surface of a pipe were examined together. Both fluids were flown in a vertical and laminar regime. Binary diffusion coefficients, Schmidt numbers (Sc) and dynamical viscosities were calculated individually for three types of natural gases. It is demonstrated that the chemical absorption method by MEA process is the most appropriate method at high Damko¨hler (Da) numbers particularly for natural gases containing high concentrations of CO2 and H2S.     

Micro and Nanoporous Membrane Platforms for Carbon Neutrality: Membrane Gas Separation Prospects

Recently, carbon neutrality has been promoted as a potentially practical solution to global CO₂ emissions and increasing energy-consumption challenges. Many attempts have been made to remove CO₂ from the environment to address climate change and rising sea levels owing to anthropogenic CO₂ emissions. Herein, membrane technology is proposed as a suitable solution for carbon neutrality. This review aims to comprehensively evaluate the currently available scientific research on membranes for carbon capture, focusing on innovative microporous material membranes used for CO₂ separation and considering their material, chemical, and physical characteristics and permeability factors. Membranes from such materials comprise metal-organic frameworks, zeolites, silica, porous organic frameworks, and microporous polymers. The critical obstacles related to membrane design, growth, and CO₂ capture and usage processes are summarized to establish novel membranes and strategies and accelerate their scaleup.     

Modified poly(phenylene oxide) membranes for the separation of carbon dioxide from methane

Two types of poly(phenylene oxide) (PPO) membranes were prepared: one by chemical modification through sulfonation using chlorosulfonic acid and another by physical incorporation with a heteropolyacid (HPA), viz., phosphotungstic acid. These membranes were tested for the separation of CO₂/CH₄ mixtures. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction techniques were used to confirm the modified structure of PPO as well as to understand its interactions with gaseous molecules. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to investigate the membrane morphology. Thermal stability of the modified polymers was assessed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), while the tensile strength was measured to evaluate their mechanical stability. Both chemical and physical modifications did not adversely affect the thermally and mechanical stabilities. Experiments with pure CO₂ and CH₄ gases showed that CO₂ selectivity (27.2) for SPPO increased by a factor of 2.2, while the PPO–HPA membrane exhibited 1.7 times increase in selectivity with a reasonable permeability of 28.2 Barrer. An increase in flux was observed for the binary CO₂/CH₄ mixture permeation with an increasing feed concentration (5–40 mol%) of CO₂. An enhancement in feed pressure from 5 to 40 kg/cm² resulted in reduced CO₂ permeability and selectivity due to the competitive sorption of methane. Both the modified PPO membranes were found to be promising for enrichment of methane despite exhibiting lower permeability values than the pristine PPO membrane.     

Synthesis and properties of polyimides from thianthrene-2,3,7,8-tetracarboxylic dianhydride-5,5,10,10-tetraoxide

Thianthrene - 2,3,7,8 - tetracarboxylic dianhydride - 5,5,10,10 - tetraoxide (TADATO), a dianhydride having two sulfonyls between two phenyl rings, was synthesized and polymerized with several diamines by a two-step method. Tough polyimide membranes were obtained with flexible diamines but not with rigid diamines. Most of TADATO-based polyimides are soluble in polar solvents such as N,N-dimethylacetamide and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. IR study confirmed that almost complete imidization of TADATO-based poly(amic acid) membranes could be achieved by thermal treatment at 100, 200, and 300°C for each 1 h. In a series of polyimides based on 4,4′-oxydianiline, the polyimide from TADATO showed higher gas permeability coefficient of CO₂ and higher selectivities of CO₂/N₂ and CO₂/CH₄ than those of polyimides from pyromellitic dianhydride and 3,3′,4,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride, and was comparable to that from 2,2-bis(3,4-dicarboxyphenyl) hexafluoropropane dianhydride. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36 : 485–494, 1998     

A cooperative adsorbent for the switch-like capture of carbon dioxide from crude natural gas

Natural gas constitutes a growing share of global primary energy due to its abundant supply and lower CO₂ emission intensity compared to coal. For many natural gas reserves, CO₂ contamination must be removed at the wellhead to meet pipeline specifications. Here, we demonstrate the potential of the diamine-appended metal–organic framework ee-2–Mg₂(dobpdc) (ee-2 = N,N-diethylethylenediamine; dobpdc⁴⁻ = 4,4′-dioxidobiphenyl-3,3′-dicarboxylate) as a next-generation CO₂ capture material for high-pressure natural gas purification. Owing to a cooperative adsorption mechanism involving formation of ammonium carbamate chains, ee-2–Mg₂(dobpdc) can be readily regenerated with a minimal change in temperature or pressure and maintains its CO₂ capacity in the presence of water. Moreover, breakthrough experiments reveal that water enhances the CO₂ capture performance of ee-2–Mg₂(dobpdc) by eliminating “slip” of CO₂ before full breakthrough. Spectroscopic characterization and multicomponent adsorption isobars suggest that the enhanced performance under humid conditions arises from preferential stabilization of the CO₂-inserted phase in the presence of water. The favorable performance of ee-2–Mg₂(dobpdc) is further demonstrated through comparison with a benchmark material for this separation, zeolite 13X, as well as extended pressure cycling. Overall, these results support continued development of ee-2–Mg₂(dobpdc) as a promising adsorbent for natural gas purification.

Diamine-appended metal–organic frameworks can be optimized as adsorbents for pressure-swing purification of crude natural gas. A cooperative CO₂ binding mechanism enables high CO₂ swing capacities and enhanced performance under humid conditions.     

Blood compatibility and permeability of heparin-modified polysulfone as potential membrane for simultaneous hemodialysis and LDL removal

Heparin was covalently immobilized on PSf membranes to obtain a dialysis membrane with high affinity for LDL. WCA and streaming potential measurements were performed to investigate wettability and surface charge of the membranes. The morphology of the membranes was investigated by SEM. An ELISA was used to measure the adsorption and desorption of LDL on plain and modified PSf. Blood compatibility was studied by measurement of thrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, kallikrein activity and platelet adhesion. It was found that the blood compatibility of the membrane was improved by covalent immobilization of heparin at its surface. However, PSf-Hep membrane showed higher flux recovery after BSA solution filtration, which revealed antifouling property of PSf-Hep membranes.     

Synthesis and gas permeation properties of silicalite-1 zeolite membrane

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Recent progress in microporous polymers from thermally rearranged polymers and polymers of intrinsic microporosity for membrane gas separation: Pushing performance limits and revisiting trade-off lines

Polymers are promising materials for gas separation membranes. However, the trade-off relationship between gas permeability and selectivity remains an obstacle for achieving polymer membranes that exhibit high gas permeation with desirable separation efficiency. Improving polymer microporosity is of interest in gas separation membranes to enhance gas transport behavior. Polymer modifications by (a) incorporating intrinsically microporous units and/or (b) increasing chain rigidity can enhance microporosity in conventional polymer membrane materials such as polyimides. These strategies are adopted for new classes of microporous polymers, thermally rearranged (TR) polymers, and polymers with intrinsic microporosity (PIMs), to maximize gas transport properties. Their outstanding gas separation performances have redefined the traditional trade-off lines. This review aims to explore the advances in microporous polymers for gas separation applications. The approaches on TR polymers and PIMs to enhance their microporosity are listed, and their developments are evaluated in the context of revisiting performance limits for industrially relevant gas separation applications.     

Practical method for the measurement of Alkyl mercaptans in natural gas by multi-dimensional gas chromatography, capillary flow technology, and flame ionization detection

Volatile sulfur compounds such as alkylmercaptans are undesired impurities in natural gas streams. As a result, natural gas treatment and purification services are essential in many industries that utilize natural gas either as a fuel or in a chemical process. While there are many analytical methods that can be employed for the measurement of mercaptans, a simple, practical, and easy-to-implement method is required for remote field deployment. An analytical method, based on multi-dimensional gas chromatography (MDGC), capillary flow technology and flame ionization has been successfully developed for the application described. Results based on the technique showed alkylmercaptans can be accurately measured with a minimum detection limit of 200 ppb (v/v) or better, a linear range of up to 100 ppm (v/v), and a relative standard deviation (n=10) of 1.2% or less were obtained by manual injection with a total sample-to-sample analysis time of less than 15 min.     

A parametric study of CO2/N2 gas separation membrane processes for post-combustion capture

Capture of CO₂ from flue gases produced by the combustion of fossil fuels and biomass in air is referred to as post-combustion capture. Chemisorbent processes are considered to be the most feasible method and are already at an advanced stage of development, but gas separation membranes are attracting more and more attention as a possible alternative. This paper describes a detailed parametric study of mass and energy balances for a simulated single membrane process. Typical operating conditions (CO₂ concentration in the flue gas, pressure and temperature, etc.) together with the influence of the membrane quality (permeability, selectivity) and membrane area on membrane performance (CO₂ separation degree and CO₂ purity) are simulated over a wide range of parameters.     

Nanoporous carbons as promising novel methane adsorbents for natural gas technology

Nanoporous carbons were synthesized using furfuryl alcohol and sucrose as precursors and MCM-41 and mordenite as nanoporous templates.The produced nanoporous carbons were used as adsorbent for methane storage.The average pore diameter of the samples varied from 3.9 nm to 5.9 nm and the BET surface area varied from 320m2/g to 824m2/g.The volumetric adsorption experiments revealed that MCM-41 and sucrose had better performance compared with mordenite and furfuryl alcohol,correspondingly.Also,the effect of precursor to template ratio on the structure of nanoporous carbons and their adsorption capacities was investigated.The nanoporous carbon produced from MCM-41 mesoporous molecular sieve partially filled by sucrose shows the best methane adsorption capacity among the tested samples.     

Hydrate capture CO2 from shifted synthesis gas,flue gas and sour natural gas or biogas

CO₂ capture by hydrate formation is a novel gas separation technology, by which CO₂ is selectively engaged in the cages of hydrate and is separated with other gases, based on the differences of phase equilibrium for CO₂ and other gases. However, rigorous temperature and pressure, high energy cost and industrialized hydration separator dragged the development of the hydrate based CO₂ capture. In this paper, the key problems in CO₂ capture from the different sources such as shifted synthesis gas, flue gas and sour natural gas or biogas were analyzed. For shifted synthesis gas and flue gas, its high energy consumption is the barrier, and for the sour natural gas or biogas (CO₂/CH₄ system), the bottleneck is how to enhance the selectivity of CO₂ hydration. For these gases, scale-up is the main difficulty. Also, this paper explored the possibility of separating different gases by selective hydrate formation and reviewed the progress of CO₂ separation from shifted synthesis gas, flue gas and sour natural gas or biogas.     

Metal doped silica membrane reactor: Operational effects of reaction and permeation for the water gas shift reaction

In this work, we investigate the performance of metal (Cobalt) doped silica membranes in a membrane reactor (MR) configuration for the low temperature water gas shift (WGS) reaction. The membranes were hydrostable and showed activated transport even after 2 weeks exposure to steam. High CO conversions resulted in the H₂ and CO partial pressures in the reaction chamber moving in opposite directions, thus favouring H₂/CO separation to treble (5–15) from 150 to 250 °C. On the other hand, the separation of H₂/CO₂ remained relatively low (2–4) as the driving force for diffusion or partial pressure of these gases remained equal in the reaction chamber irrespective of the extent of conversion. Below approximately 40% CO conversion, the MR is ineffective as the H₂ driving force for permeation was so low that H₂/CO selectivity was below unity. Operating under equilibrium limited conversion (space velocities 7500 h⁻¹) conditions, very high conversions in excess of 95% were observed and there were no significant advantages of the MR performance over the packed bed reactor (PBR). However, for higher throughputs (space velocities 38000 and 75000 h⁻¹) conversion is affected by the reaction rate, and relatively enough H₂ is removed from the reactor through the membrane. Increasing temperature to 250 °C as a function of the space velocity (75000 h⁻¹) allowed for the CO conversion in the MR to shift up to 12% as compared to the PBR.