Development of the next generation CO2 capture processes using new formulated solvents and novel solvent regeneration techniques

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The capture of carbon dioxide (CO2) is an important processing step for most natural gas processing plants, bio-gas processing units and petroleum refineries. It is also an essential process for chemical and energy production facilities such as hydrogen production plants, synthesis gas plants, biomass-gasification units, and oil-sand operations. These industrial processes are very important steps for the future production of clean energy and low-carbon fuels, which include bio-fuels. Also, the CO2 capture process is the most important component of the technology called Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS), which plays a key role in addressing the two important environmental problems of our time: (i) climate-change and (ii) energy security. An International Energy Agency (IEA) study reports that there is a significant opportunity of storing up to 360 Gt of CO2 through enhanced oil recovery (EOR) applications over the next 50 years. The EOR technology represents an opportunity to potentially increase oil production by up to 375 billion barrels. From the perspective of life cycle assessment, the total emission of CO2 per unit energy produced from the oil produced by CO2 EOR flooding is much less than that of natural gas. For example, the IEA Weyburn-Midale CO2 Monitoring and Storage Project, which constitutes the world's largest implementation of CO2 for EOR and CCUS technologies, has stored over 30 million tons of anthropogenic CO2 since 2000.      The ultimate goal of the proposed study is to develop a more effective CO2 capture process technology for industrial gas streams, with the lowest possible capital and operating costs, and minimal operating challenges. The primary objective is to investigate different methods for reducing the cost of CO2 separation by developing promising and novel formulated solvents for CO2 recovery using new and recently invented specialty amines. In the proposed research program, we will focus on studying these newly created amines and their formulated mixtures which include (i) 4-((2-hydroxyethyl)(methyl)amino)-2-butanol (HEMAB) and (ii) 4-((2-hydroxyethyl)(ethyl)amino)-2-butanol (HEEAB). Initial results show that these novel amines can provide much higher CO2 absorption capacities for CO2 removal than conventional amines. Novel solvent regeneration techniques, called the catalyst-aided method, together with the concept of proportional split flow for solvent regeneration, will also be used to further reduce the energy consumption. The knowledge obtained will contribute to our current understanding of these technologies, as well as form the basis for developing the future and more efficient generations of CO2 capture technologies. The new understanding will help the industry to achieve significant savings in both capital and operating costs of the CO2 capture and separation processes which can reduce the greenhouse gas and benefit our environment.