Capturing CO2

Technologies that are under development for CO2 control include the use of improved solvents, solid sorbents, the substitution of oxygen for combustion air, and membranes that are selective for CO2. BASF, a leading supplier of amine scrubbing technology, is testing a new amine in a pilot plant in Esbjerg, Denmark, under the EU's Castor program. The amine is said to be much more stable than conventional solvents, so it can be used for a longer time, and it requires less energy for absorption and desorption. Sodium carbonate is the sorbent in a process being developed, with DOE support, by Research Triangle Institute (RTI. The use of absorbents or solvents can be avoided by substituting O2 for combustion air, a technique called oxycombustion. Air Products is planning a 1-MW test of its oxycombustion process on a slipstream of a large test facility in the U.S. A key feature of the process is the removal of essentially all the HCl, SOx, NOx and other impurities as acids by a combination of compression and adding water.