Capacity and Kinetics of Solvents for Post-Combustion CO2 Capture

In this work the experimental results of initial solvent characterization for the EU project CESAR are presented. A range of single and mixed amine solutions were screened and the focus was on the effect of the loading capacity kinetics and cyclic capacity depending on the amine concentration, amine ratio, and type of amine. Some of the solutions have much lower water content than the commonly used commercial solutions and the effect of this is discussed. Semi-quantitative screening tests were done enabling estimation of rate of absorption over the whole CO2 loading range and also of the cyclic capacity. For the tests a laboratory scale bubble reactor was used and they are typically early and relatively rapid tests that, together with available environmental data, can be used for the selection of solvents for detailed characteristics. The final target is to find solvents for the pilot plant campaigns in the CESAR project. The results were compared to the commonly used 5 M (30 w%) monoethanolamine (MEA) solution.