Foaming in amine-based CO2 capture process: Experiment, modeling and simulation

Abstract

This work provides a parametric study on foaming behavior in the carbon dioxide (CO2) absorption process using aqueous monoethanolamine (MEA) solutions. Foaming tendency was experimentally evaluated using the pneumatic method modified from ASTM standard, and reported in terms of foaminess coefficient (Σ). Results show that Σ increases and eventually decreases with MEA concentration and CO2 loading. A higher solution temperature reduces Σ. Most tested degradation products and corrosion inhibitors enhance foam tendency. A foaming model was developed to predict pneumatic steady-state foam heights. It consists of an empirical correlation for foam height prediction and a series of subroutine modules for physical property estimation. The model fits well with the experimental foam data with R2 of 0.88.