The present paper reports our recent efforts in developing new generation of molecular basket sorbents (MBSs) prepared using various commercially available support materials including fumed silica, silica gel, TUD-1 and carbon materials. Our recent efforts were directed towards increasing the CO2 sorption capacity, enhancing sorption kinetics, reducing the preparation cost, and improving the thermal and cyclic stability for CO2 capture from flue gas. The new MBSs not only showed the comparable gravimetric CO2 sorption capacity to MBS-2, but also exhibited much higher volumetric capacity than those of MBS-1 and MBS-2 (based on MCM-41 & SBA-15). The CO2 sorption kinetics was also slightly improved. More critically, the MBS preparation cost is significantly reduced (over 1000 times reduction in cost compared to MBS-1 & MBS-2). The post-synthesis surface coating method was found to be an effective way for improving the thermal stability and regenerability of MBS, the loss in capacity of which was 10 times less than that of MBS for 30 cycles of CO2 sorption-desorption. The current efforts make the new generation of MBS more practical for industrial applications. Additionally, through the collaboration with the engineering team at RTI International, the molecular basket sorbent has also been successfully scaled up from lab-scale powder to pilot-plant scale fluidizable particles with large quantities (&gt;150 kg) and further evaluated in a fluidized-bed pilot plant with simulated flue gas which is engineered and operated by RTI International. The results collected from operating the pilot-plant system demonstrate that the sorbent is capable of rapid CO2 removal with &gt;90% CO2 capture from flue gas.

Advanced solid sorbents for CO2 capture from flue gas

254th National Meeting (2017)

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