Impregnated Activated Carbon for Direct Air CO2 Capture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies for direct air capture of carbon dioxide (CO2) from atmospheric air are not optimized in terms of support material parameters, leading to inefficiencies in CO2 capture and high energy consumption during regeneration.
Innovation Solution
Development of a particulate activated carbon material impregnated with alkali carbonate salts like K2CO3, Li2CO3, and Na2CO3, with specific surface areas and pore structures that enhance CO2 adsorption capacity and reduce desorption temperatures, using a method that involves dissolving the salts in a solvent and impregnating pristine activated carbon to create a suspension, followed by evaporation to isolate the solid fraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional support materials are used for CO2 capture, then CO2 adsorption capacity is achieved, but energy consumption during regeneration is high
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the pore size parameter of the support material to the specific range of 0.5-5 μm, which optimizes the balance between CO2 adsorption capacity and regeneration energy. This parameter optimization allows the material to achieve high CO2 uptake while enabling desorption at lower temperatures, thus reducing regeneration energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite materials consisting of a support material (such as activated carbon, silica gel, or alumina) combined with alkali metal carbonates (K2CO3, Na2CO3) or hydroxides (KOH, NaOH). This composite structure synergistically combines the high surface area and porosity of the support with the high CO2 reactivity of the alkali compounds, achieving both high adsorption capacity and efficient regeneration.
2Productivity
If support material parameters are not optimized, then CO2 capture can be performed, but capture efficiency is low
Solution Approach 1:
The invention specifies optimal parameter ranges for the support material, particularly pore size (0.5-5 μm) and surface area (50-1000 m²/g), to maximize CO2 capture efficiency. By defining these specific parameter ranges, the invention simplifies the selection and design process while achieving high productivity in CO2 capture.
3Quantity of substance
If conventional adsorbent materials are used, then CO2 capture is achieved, but regeneration temperature is high
Solution Approach 1:
The composite structure of support material with alkali metal carbonates/hydroxides enables CO2 capture at high capacity while allowing regeneration at lower temperatures. The alkali compounds form carbonates during capture that can be decomposed at relatively low temperatures (below 1000°C), significantly lower than conventional adsorbents that require higher temperatures for regeneration.
Solution Approach 2:
The use of porous support materials with controlled pore sizes (0.5-5 μm) provides high surface area for alkali compound deposition and facilitates mass transfer during CO2 capture. The porous structure also enables efficient heat and mass transfer during regeneration, allowing lower regeneration temperatures while maintaining high CO2 capacity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The impregnated activated carbon exhibits increased CO2 adsorption capacities and reduced energy consumption during desorption, with CO2 capture efficiencies higher than existing methods, particularly due to the optimized mesopore surface and volume, allowing for lower regeneration temperatures and reduced energy costs.
Implementation Method 1
a particulate activated carbon material for capturing CO2 from air, wherein the particulate activated carbon is impregnated with at least one alkali carbonate salt
Implementation Method 2
containing a salt capable of reacting with water and CO2 to form bicarbonate
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method to produce a particulate activated carbon material for capturing CO2 from air,wherein the particulate activated carbon is impregnated with alkali carbonate salt such as K2CO3; and wherein the impregnated particulate activated carbon either has, determined using nitrogen adsorption methods, a pore volume of at least 0.10 cm3/g for pore sizes of at least 5 nm and a pore volume of at most 0.30 cm3/g for pore sizes of less than 2 nm or is based on a mixture of different alkali carbonate salts, or has a particular pore surface for pore sizes in the range of 2 nm-50 nm.