Effect of operating variables on CO2 adsorption capacity of activated carbon, kaolinite, and activated carbon – kaolinite composite adsorbent

Abstract

Global climate change is currently a major problem and is thought to be due to high levels of CO2 and other greenhouse gases. Several technologies have been built to lower CO2 emissions. Adsorption, a promising technology for CO2 capture, is among these technologies. In addition to adsorbent development, it is essential to determine the influence of operating variables on developed materials. Furthermore, in this study, an activated carbon (AC), kaolinite (KAO) and kaolinite-activated carbon (KAC) composite adsorbent characterized was evaluated for CO2 adsorption. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of operating variables on the CO2 adsorption capacity on each adsorbent (activated carbon, kaolinite, and kaolinite – activated carbon composite) and select the most suitable to serve as the solid anchor in the production of a hydrophobic adsorbent material for CO2 capture. Furthermore, Scanning Electron Microscopy, N2 physisorption and Fourier Transform Infrared were tested for the morphology, surface area and functional groups of the adsorbents, respectively. The CO2 adsorption capacity of the adsorbents was measured using a custom-built 1.0 cm internal diameter adsorption column at (3 to 5 cm) bed height, (30 to 70 °C) operating temperature, and (30 to 70 mL/min) CO2 feed flow rates. The maximum amounts of AC, KAC and KAO adsorbed were found to be 28.97 mg CO2/g, 18.54 mg CO2/g and 12.98 mg CO2/g, respectively. Based on the above findings, this study has demonstrated the effect of operating variables on CO2 adsorption capacity of the adsorbents and present it as a viable condition for the adsorption process.