Effect of isopropanol on CO2 capture by activated carbon: Adsorption performance and regeneration capacity

Globally, fossil fuel combustion from various industrial processes has caused a significant increase in CO2 emissions, exacerbating the greenhouse effect and climate change. Therefore, effective CO2 capture technologies must be urgently developed. Vacuum temperature swing adsorption (VTSA) is an efficient technique for CO2 capture. The presence of water vapor, H2S, etc., is an important factor that affects the performance of CO2 adsorption, and they are usually removed prior to the adsorption separation process. However, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a common component of industrial flue gas, can also affect the adsorption and capture of CO2, which is often ignored. Thus, in this study, the effect of isopropanol (IPA), one of the most common VOCs used in industry, on the CO2 removal performance is examined using an in-house VTSA device with activated carbon (AC) as the adsorbent. The effect of IPA on the CO2 adsorption performance of AC under varying IPA concentration, IPA content in AC, feed flow rate, and adsorption/desorption temperature is comprehensively investigated. The results verify that the impact of VOCs in the industrial exhaust gases on CO2 capture by adsorption cannot be disregarded. & COPY; 2023 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Globally, the combustion of fossil fuels in various industrial processes has led to a significant increase in CO2 emissions, exacerbating the greenhouse effect and climate change. Therefore, it is crucial to develop effective CO2 capture technologies. Vacuum temperature swing adsorption (VTSA) is an efficient technique for CO2 capture. However, the impact of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as isopropanol (IPA), commonly found in industrial flue gas, on CO2 adsorption and capture is often overlooked. This study comprehensively investigates the effect of IPA on the CO2 adsorption performance of activated carbon (AC) under varying conditions.