High-temperature CO2 sorption on Na2CO3-impregnated layered double hydroxides

Layered double hydroxide (LDH), one of representative high-temperature CO2 sorbents, has many advantages, including stable CO2 sorption, fast sorption kinetics, and low regeneration temperature. However, CO2 sorption uptake on LDH is not high enough for practical use; thus it is usually enhanced by impregnation with alkali metals such as K2CO3. In this study, LDH was impregnated with Na2CO3, and analyses based on scanning electron microscopy, N-2 gas physisorption, in situ X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were carried out to elucidate the characteristics of sorbents and the mechanism of CO2 sorption. Although the surface area of LDH decreased after Na2CO3 impregnation, CO2 sorption uptake was greatly enhanced by the additional basicity of Na2CO3. The crystal structure of Na2CO3 in the Na2CO3-impregnated LDH changed from monoclinic to hexagonal with increasing temperature, and the sorbed-CO2 was stored in the form of carbonate. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to measure CO2 sorption uptake at 200-600 A degrees C. The sample of Na2CO3: LDH=0.35: 1 weight ratio had the largest CO2 sorption uptake among the tested sorbents, and the CO2 sorption uptake tended to increase even after 400 A degrees C.