Breakthrough in Carbon Capture
Carbon capture is going to become more and more important in the fight against global warming. However, on of the biggest drawbacks is the amount of energy needed during the desorption step in the carbon capture process. To reduce the energy needed I have been analyzing the effect of membranes coated with nanogels on the CO2 desorption rate in alkaline solutions. The each membrane is coated with n-heptane, PDMS, TEOS, and dibutyl dilaurate. To test the samples a KHCO3 solution is being heated and then passes through the membrane module where it is exposed to the coated membrane. The CO2 gas that is formed leaves through the top of the chamber and the remaining solution is recycled through the system. Any reduction in the overall heat needed during this step will drive down the cost to run carbon capture systems. Lower costs is a crucial piece to allow for carbon capture systems to be more readily adopted.