Enhanced carbon dioxide absorption using alcohol solvents in a microreactor: Comparison with MEA plus water mixture

Background: Carbon dioxide absorption using solvents is a critical process in mitigating greenhouse gas emis-sions. The monoethanolamine (MEA) + water (30 wt.%) mixture is the most commonly used solvent, but alternative solvents with better performance are desired.Methods: This study investigated the effects of temperature, solvent flow rate, and gas flow rate on carbon dioxide absorption and liquid-side volumetric mass transfer coefficient in a microreactor using various solvents. The performance of the tested solvents was compared to the MEA + water (30 wt.%) mixture.Significant findings: Ethylene glycol achieved the highest absorption (91.57%) at 15 degrees C, with a solvent flow rate of 0.05 l.min � 1 and a gas flow rate of 1 l.min � 1. The maximum klav value of 18.2 s-1 was reached at 15 degrees C, with a solvent flow rate of 0.01 l.min � 1 and a gas flow rate of 1 l.min � 1. This value was 1.3 times higher than that of the MEA + water (30 wt.%) mixture under similar conditions, indicating the potential to replace glycolytic solvents with amine-based solvents in carbon dioxide absorption applications.