Absorption of carbon dioxide into aqueous solutions of piperazine activated 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol

In this work, new experimental data on the rate of absorption of CO2 into piperazine (PZ) activated aqueous solutions of 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP) are reported. The absorption experiments using a wetted wall contactor have been carried out over the temperature range of 298–313 K and CO2 partial pressure range of 2–14 kPa. PZ is used as a rate activator with a concentration ranging from 2 to 8 wt%, keeping the total amine concentration in the solution at 30 wt%. The CO2 absorption into the aqueous amine solutions is described by a combined mass transfer-reaction kinetics-equilibrium model, developed according to Higbie's penetration theory. Parametric sensitivity analysis is done to determine the effects of possible errors in the model parameters on the accuracy of the calculated CO2 absorption rates from the model. The model predictions have been found to be in good agreement with the experimental results of rates of absorption of CO2 into aqueous (PZ+AMP). The good agreement between the model predicted rates and enhancement factors and the experimental results indicates that the combined mass transfer-reaction kinetics-equilibrium model with the appropriate use of model parameters can effectively represent CO2 mass transfer in PZ activated aqueous AMP solutions.