Understanding the impact of industrial gas streams on CO2 capture solvent performance

碳捕获和储存将在实现IPCC将气候变化限制在2摄氏度以下的目标方面发挥关键作用。有许多大规模的二氧化碳点源排放源可以被捕获，包括发电站（以天然气、煤炭和生物质为燃料）、工业制造（钢铁、水泥）、制氢（通过蒸汽甲烷重整）、天然气脱硫和沼气升级。虽然有许多不同的方法来捕获二氧化碳，化学溶剂的使用是最发达的。然而，所使用的技术有许多缺点，包括化学危害（毒性和排放）、能源性能和材料的结构兼容性。c - capture开发的技术在二氧化碳分离过程中使用的能源大约是目前商业技术的一半，并且使用的化学物质便宜、容易获得，比目前的溶剂更环保。拟议的项目旨在了解溶剂性能的一些关键基本方面，这些方面与溶剂基CO2分离相关，这可能有助于C-Capture在未来开发改进的工艺。目前的研究目标如下：1。制备一系列能够在常压或更高压力下物理和/或化学吸收CO2的溶剂。2. 测量并潜在地合理化影响CO2在新溶剂中溶解度的关键结构特征。3. 了解潜在的溶剂降解机制以及这些机制如何影响溶剂的性能。该项目将从使用合成有机化学技术合成一些新的化学溶剂开始。这些将与已知的溶剂有关，研究的特定结构特征包括存在的任何杂原子的性质（例如N， O， S），任何可能影响溶解度和反应性的电子和空间影响，以及这如何与实际工艺情况下的部署相关。将使用汽液平衡设备在各种温度和压力下测量溶剂溶解CO2的潜力，并与现有溶剂进行比较。这将用于确定溶剂的化学结构如何影响其溶解二氧化碳的能力，特别是其与温度和压力的关系。最初，这将是经验性的，但根据结果和进展的重要性，计算模型也可能是可行的。随着关键溶剂的确定，将对其进行更详细的研究，特别是在化学稳定性（热稳定性和氧化性）方面，使用在氧气和/或CO2存在下的加速老化技术。将研究降解对CO2溶解度的影响，从而研究捕获性能。此外，将识别任何降解产物，并试图了解其来源。在另一名学生（未发表，正在撰写）的博士论文中，我们最近使用了这种技术来研究胺的降解，并从MEA中确定了一种新的主要降解产物，这是以前未报道的。通过与C-Capture的合作，这些知识将应用于真正的商业系统。例如，C-Capture目前在Drax电站有一个溶剂接触器装置，该装置有能力长时间持续地将溶剂暴露在生物质烟气中。用这种方法制备的样品可以与加速老化的样品进行比较，以确定该方法的有效性。该项目还将涉及与一家创新的中小企业合作，将来自该大学的研究商业化，这有可能在世界各地产生巨大影响，为英国创造财富的重大机会。

Carbon capture and storage will play a key role in achieving the IPCC goal to limit climate change to below 2 C. There are many large scale point source emitters of CO2 where it can be captured, including power stations (fuelled by gas, coal, and biomass), industrial manufacturing (iron and steel, cement), hydrogen production (via steam methane reforming), natural gas sweetening and biogas upgrading.Although there are numerous different approaches to CO2 capture, the use of chemical solvents is the most developed. However there are numerous drawbacks to the technology used, including chemical hazards (toxicity and emissions), energy performance, and material of construction compatibility.C-Capture has developed technology which uses approximately half the energy of current commercial technologies for the CO2 separation process, and utilises chemicals which are inexpensive, readily available, and much more environmentally benign than current solvents. The proposed project is designed to understand some of the key fundamental aspects of solvent performance which is of relevance to solvent based CO2 separation, which may help C-Capture develop improved processes in the future.The current objectives of the research are as follows:1. To prepare a range of solvents which have the capability to physically and/or chemically absorb CO2 at atmospheric pressure or higher pressure. 2. To measure and potentially rationalise key structural features which affect solubility of CO2 in the new solvents. 3. To understand potential solvent degradation mechanisms and how these may impact on the performance of a solvent.The project will begin with synthesis of some new chemical solvents, using synthetic organic chemistry techniques. These will be related to known solvents, and particular structural features for investigation include the nature of any heteroatoms present (e.g. N, O, S), any electronic and steric affects which may influence solubility and reactivity, and how this may be relevant to deployment in a real process situation.The potential of the solvents for dissolving CO2 will be measured at a variety of temperatures and pressures using vapour-liquid equilibria equipment, and compared with that of existing solvents. This will be used to determine how the chemical structure of the solvent influences its ability to dissolve CO2, particularly its relationship with temperature and pressure. Initially this will be empirical, but computational modelling may also be feasible depending on significance of results and progress.As key solvents are identified, they will be studied in more detail, particularly with regard to chemical stability (thermal and oxidative), using accelerated ageing techniques in the presence of oxygen and/or CO2. The effect of degradation on CO2 solubility, and hence capture performance, will be investigated. In addition, any degradation products will be identified and attempts will be made to understand their origin. In PhD work by another student (unpublished, now writing up), we have recently used such techniques to investigate amine degradation, and have identified one new major degradation product from MEA that is previously unreported.These learnings will then be applied to real commercial systems, through collaboration with C-Capture. For example, C-Capture currently have a solvent contactor unit currently on location at Drax power station, which has the capability to continuously expose solvents to biomass flue gas for extended periods of time. Samples prepared using this method can be compared with those from accelerated ageing to determine effectiveness of the method. This project will also involve working with an innovative SME, commercialising research that originated from the University, which has the potential to have enormous impact around the world, with major opportunity for wealth creation for the UK.