Hollow fiber membrane contactor based carbon dioxide absorption - stripping: a review

Energy need is predicted to increase by 47% in the next 30 years. Global warming resulting from the continuously increasing atmospheric Carbon dioxide concentration is becoming a serious and pressing issue that needs to be controlled. Carbon dioxide capture and storage/use (CCS/CCU) provide a promising route to mitigate the environmental consequences of Carbon dioxide emission from fossil fuel combustion. In recent years, hollow fiber membrane contactors are regarded as an advanced technique with several competitive advantages over conventional technologies such as easy scale-up, independent control of flow rates, more operational flexibility, absence of flooding and foaming as well as high interfacial area per unit volume. However, many factors such as the membrane material selection, proper choice of solvent, and membrane module design are critical to success. In this regard, this paper aims at covering all areas related to hollow fiber membranes, including membrane material, membrane modification, membrane surface modification, shape, solvent characterization, operating parameters and costs, hybrid process, hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity of the absorption materials in the membranes, Advantages and Disadvantages of Membrane Contact Technology, membrane lifetime, and energy consumption as well as commercially available systems. Current progress, future potential, and development of pilot-scale applications and thermal fluid of this strategy are also assessed carefully. Furthermore, pore wetting as the main technical challenge in membrane contactor industrial implementation for post- and pre-combustion Carbon dioxide capture processes is investigated in detail.