Stabilized Performance of Al‐Decorated and Al/Mg Co‐Decorated Spray‐Dried CaO‐Based CO2 Sorbents

The sharp loss‐in‐capacity in CO₂ capture as a result of sintering is a major drawback for CaO‐based sorbents used in the calcium looping process. The decoration of inert supports effectively stabilizes the cyclic CO₂ capture performance of CaO‐based sorbents via sintering mitigation. A range of Al‐decorated and Al/Mg co‐decorated CaO‐based sorbents were synthesized via an easily scaled‐up spray‐drying route. The decoration of Al‐based and Al/Mg‐based supports efficiently enhanced the cyclic CO₂ capture capability of CaO‐based sorbents under severe testing conditions. The CO₂ capture capacity losses of Al‐decorated and Al/Mg co‐decorated CaO‐based sorbents were alleviated, representing more stable CO₂ capture performance. The stabilized CO₂ capture performance is mainly attributed to the formation of Ca₁₂Al₁₄O₃₃, MgAl₂O₄, and MgO that act as the skeleton structures to mitigate the sintering of CaCO₃ during carbonation/calcination cycles.     

三元复合钙基材料CaO-Ca3Al2O6-MgO的合成及其CO2吸附性能

采用Al₂O₃和MgO同时掺杂改性的方法制备了CaO-Ca₃Al₂O₆-MgO复合钙基高温吸附CO₂材料。复合钙基材料孔隙发达,活性物相为CaO,惰性骨架物相为Ca₃Al₂O₆和MgO。Ca₃Al₂O₆/MgO质量比偏小的材料,表面微粒粒径较小。在10%（体积分数,下同）CO₂和90% N₂的混合气气氛下,采用热重分析仪测量了复合钙基材料吸附CO₂容量、碳化反应速率以及循环碳化（670℃）/煅烧（900℃）过程的稳定性。结果发现,复合钙基材料CaO-Ca₃Al₂O₆-MgO具有较好的吸附CO₂性能,提高Ca₃Al₂O₆/MgO质量比,合成材料的循环稳定性较好;降低Ca₃Al₂O₆/MgO质量比,合成材料的碳化反应速率加快,CaO转化率提高。最后,通过对不同循环次数下复合钙材料的比表面积、孔径分布、微观形貌、表面元素分布,晶相、晶粒大小进行研究分析,对合成材料的失活以及掺杂物质对烧结的抑制机理进行了讨论。     

Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> and CeO<Subscript>2</Subscript>-promoted MgO sorbents for CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> capture at moderate temperatures

A series of Al₂O₃ and CeO₂ modified MgO sorbents was prepared and studied for CO₂ sorption at moderate temperatures. The CO₂ sorption capacity of MgO was enhanced with the addition of either Al₂O₃ or CeO₂. Over Al₂O₃-MgO sorbents, the best capacity of 24.6 mg- CO₂/g-sorbent was attained at 100 °C, which was 61% higher than that of MgO (15.3 mg-CO₂/g-sorbent). The highest capacity of 35.3 mg-CO₂/g-sorbent was obtained over the CeO₂-MgO sorbents at the optimal temperature of 200 °C. Combining with the characterization results, we conclude that the promotion effect on CO₂ sorption with the addition of Al₂O₃ and CeO₂ can be attributed to the increased surface area with reduced MgO crystallite size. Moreover, the addition of CeO₂ increased the basicity of MgO phase, resulting in more increase in the CO₂ capacity than Al₂O₃ promoter. Both the Al₂O₃-MgO and CeO₂-MgO sorbents exhibited better cyclic stability than MgO over the course of fifteen CO₂ sorption-desorption cycles. Compared to Al₂O₃, CeO₂ is more effective for promoting the CO₂ capacity of MgO. To enhance the CO₂ capacity of MgO sorbent, increasing the basicity is more effective than the increase in the surface area.

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Sorption-enhanced reforming of tar: Influence of the preparation method of CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> absorbent

To remove tar and produce environment-friendly H₂, one of the promising routes is the sorption-enhanced steam reforming (SESR) process, in which the CO₂ sorbent is a key element. We prepared the CO₂ sorbents with Ca₁₂Al₁₄O₃₃ as carrier with various methods. Their characterizations were examined, and the sample prepared by solgel (SG) method showed the strongest CaO and Ca₁₂Al₁₄O₃₃ phases and the most excellent pore structure among all the samples. Then, a thermogravimetric experiment was conducted, and the results showed that the sample prepared by sol-gel (SG) method had the best CO₂ adsorption capacity and excellent long-term cyclic stability. Finally, the sorbent was used into the steam reforming experiments of tar. Under the action of the sorbent, the reforming reaction was enhanced in-situ, with the H₂ yield and concentration improved obviously, and especially, H₂ concentration can reach over 98.85%.     

烟气中水蒸气对钙基吸收剂碳酸化的影响特性

在循环煅烧/碳酸化反应系统上考察煅烧气氛和碳酸化气氛中水蒸气含量以及CO₂分压对钙基吸收剂成型颗粒碳酸化的影响,通过对钙基吸收剂微观结构分析(扫描电镜、氮吸附分析)以理解水蒸气影响碳酸化特性的机理。结果表明,煅烧气氛和碳酸化气氛中的水蒸气均可提高钙基吸收剂的碳酸化转化率,水蒸气含量分别为10%和5%时,吸收剂的碳酸化性能较好;水蒸气在碳酸化气氛中对高铝水泥改性吸收剂的改善作用较石灰石显著。煅烧气氛中的CO₂分压越高,烧结现象越严重,降低钙基吸收剂的捕集效率;碳酸化气氛CO₂分压提高,有利于提高钙基吸收剂的碳酸化转化率。烟气中水蒸气丰富了吸收剂的微观孔隙,使得吸收剂捕集CO₂性能得到改善。     

Effect of rice husk ash addition on CO2 capture behavior of calcium-based sorbent during calcium looping cycle

Rice husk ash/CaO was proposed as a CO₂ sorbent which was prepared by rice husk ash and CaO hydration together. The CO₂ capture behavior of rice husk ash/CaO sorbent was investigated in a twin fixed bed reactor system, and its apparent morphology, pore structure characteristics and phase variation during cyclic carbonation/calcination reactions were examined by SEM-EDX, N₂ adsorption and XRD, respectively. The optimum preparation conditions for rice husk ash/CaO sorbent are hydration temperature of 75 °C, hydration time of 8 h, and mole ratio of SiO₂ in rice husk ash to CaO of 1.0. The cyclic carbonation performances of rice husk ash/CaO at these preparation conditions were compared with those of hydrated CaO and original CaO. The temperature at 660 °C–710 °C is beneficial to CO₂ absorption of rice husk ash/CaO, and it exhibits higher carbonation conversions than hydrated CaO and original CaO during multiple cycles at the same reaction conditions. Rice husk ash/CaO possesses better anti-sintering behavior than the other sorbents. Rice husk ash exhibits better effect on improving cyclic carbonation conversion of CaO than pure SiO₂ and diatomite. Rice husk ash/CaO maintains higher surface area and more abundant pores after calcination during the multiple cycles; however, the other sorbents show a sharp decay at the same reaction conditions. Ca₂SiO₄ found by XRD detection after calcination of rice husk ash/CaO is possibly a key factor in determining the cyclic CO₂ capture behavior of rice husk ash/CaO.     

Economical assessment of competitive enhanced limestones for CO2 capture cycles in power plants

CO₂ capture systems based on the carbonation/calcination loop have gained rapid interest due to promising carbonator CO₂ capture efficiency, low sorbent cost and no flue gases treatment is required before entering the system. These features together result in a competitively low cost CO₂ capture system. Among the key variables that influence the performance of these systems and their integration with power plants, the carbonation conversion of the sorbent and the heat requirement at calciner are the most relevant. Both variables are mainly influenced by CaO/CO₂ ratio and make-up flow of solids. New sorbents are under development to reduce the decay of their carbonation conversion with cycles. The aim of this study is to assess the competitiveness of new limestones with enhanced sorption behaviour applied to carbonation/calcination cycle integrated with a power plant, compared to raw limestone. The existence of an upper limit for the maximum average capture capacity of CaO has been considered. Above this limit, improving sorbent capture capacity does not lead to the corresponding increase in capture efficiency and, thus, reduction of CO₂ avoided cost is not observed. Simulations calculate the maximum price for enhanced sorbents to achieve a reduction in CO₂ removal cost under different process conditions (solid circulation and make-up flow). The present study may be used as an assessment tool of new sorbents to understand what prices would be competitive compare with raw limestone in the CO₂ looping capture systems.     

Ni/CaO‐Al2O3 bifunctional catalysts for sorption‐enhanced steam methane reforming

Ni/CaO‐Al₂O₃ bifunctional catalysts with different CaO/Al₂O₃ mass ratios were prepared by a sol–gel method and applied to the sorption‐enhanced steam methane reforming (SESMR) process. The catalysts consisted mainly of Ni, CaO and Ca₅Al₆O₁₄. The catalyst structure depended strongly on the CaO/Al₂O₃ mass ratio, which in turn affected the CO₂ capture capacity and the catalytic performance. The catalyst with a CaO/Al₂O₃ mass ratio of 6 or 8 possessed the highest surface area, the smallest Ni particle size, and the most uniform distribution of Ni, CaO, and Ca₅Al₆O₁₄. During 50 consecutive SESMR cycles at a steam/methane molar ratio of 2, the thermodynamic equilibrium was achieved using the catalyst with a CaO/Al₂O₃ mass ratio of 6, and H₂ concentration profiles for all the 50 cycles almost overlapped, indicating excellent activity and stability of the catalyst. Moreover, a high CO₂ capture capacity of 0.44 was maintained after 50 carbonation–calcination cycles, being almost equal to its initial capacity (0.45 ). © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 60: 3547–3556, 2014     

CeO<Subscript>2</Subscript>-La<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>/ZSM-5 sorbents for high-temperature H<Subscript>2</Subscript>S removal

Performance of CeO₂-La₂O₃/ZSM-5 sorbents for sulfur removal was examined at temperature ranging from 500 oC to 700 oC. The sulfur capacity of 5Ce5La/ZSM-5 was much bigger than that of CeO₂/ZSM-5. H₂ had a negative impact on the sulfidation; however, CO had little influence on sulfur removal. The characterization results showed that CeO₂ and La₂O₃ were well dispersed on ZSM-5 because of the intimate admixing of La₂O₃ and CeO₂, the major sulfidation products were Ce₂O₂S and La₂O₂S, the XRD and SEM results revealed that ZSM-5 structure could remain intact during preparation and sulfidation process, the H₂-TPR showed that the reducibility of CeO₂ can be remarkably enhanced by addition of La.     

Structural evolution of hierarchical porous NiO/Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> composites and their application for removal of dyes by adsorption

Hierarchical porous NiO/Al₂O₃ composites were successfully prepared by two-steps. First, the core-shell structured Al₂O₃ microspheres were prepared via a template-free hydrothermal route using KAl(SO₄)₂·12H₂O and Al₂(SO₄)₃·18H₂O as aluminum source. Then, the NiO/Al₂O₃ composites with micro- and nano-hierarchical structures were prepared by a hydrothermal method combining the subsequent calcination process. The obtained characterization result presented that the morphology of hierarchical Al₂O₃ microsphere tuned to irregular platelets by simply varying Ni/Al ratios. The BET analysis showed that the special surface area from 52.12m² g^?1 to 214.8m² g^?1 after two hydrothermal complex process. Effects of Ni/Al ratio, adsorbent dosage, Congo red (CR) concentration, coexisting ions, adsorption time and temperature were investigated. The obtained results indicated that NiO/Al₂O₃ composite had the high adsorption efficiency (99.6%) and great adsorption capacity (186.9mg g^?1) under the optimum conditions. The adsorption isotherm and kinetics data were found to be well fitted and in good agreement with the Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-second order model, respectively. The hierarchical porous NiO/Al₂O₃ composites presented remarkably higher adsorption efficiency during five recycling, which showed their potential as the highly efficient adsorbent for removal of CR in wastewater.     

Influence of calcination temperature on the structure and properties of Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> as support for Pd catalyst

We investigated the influence of the calcination temperature on the structural properties of Al₂O₃ and how the resultant Al₂O₃ support affects the characteristics of Pd/Al₂O₃ catalysts. Al₂O₃ pretreated at different calcination temperatures ranging from 500 °C to 1,150 °C, was used as catalyst supports. The Pd/Al₂O₃ catalysts were prepared by a deposition-precipitation method using a pH 7.5 precursor solution. Characterization of the prepared Pd/Al₂O₃ catalysts was performed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N₂-physisorption, CO₂-temperature programmed desorption (TPD), CO-chemisorption, and field emission-transmission electron microscopic (FE-TEM) analyses. The CO-chemisorption results showed that the Pd catalyst with the Al₂O₃ support calcined at 900 °C, Pd/Al₂O₃ (900), had the highest and most uniformly dispersed Pd particles, with a Pd dispersion of 29.8%. The results suggest that the particle size and distribution of Pd are related to the phase transition of Al₂O₃ and the ratio of isolated tetrahedral to condensed octahedral coordination sites (i.e., functional groups), where the tetrahedral sites coordinate more favorably with Pd.     

CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> methanation and co-methanation of CO and CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> over Mn-promoted Ni/Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> catalysts

A series of Mn-promoted 15 wt-% Ni/Al₂O₃ catalysts were prepared by an incipient wetness impregnation method. The effect of the Mn content on the activity of the Ni/Al₂O₃ catalysts for CO₂ methanation and the comethanation of CO and CO₂ in a fixed-bed reactor was investigated. The catalysts were characterized by N2 physisorption, hydrogen temperature-programmed reduction and desorption, carbon dioxide temperature-programmed desorption, X-ray diffraction and highresolution transmission electron microscopy. The presence of Mn increased the number of CO₂ adsorption sites and inhibited Ni particle agglomeration due to improved Ni dispersion and weakened interactions between the nickel species and the support. The Mn-promoted 15 wt-% Ni/Al₂O₃ catalysts had improved CO₂ methanation activity especially at low temperatures (250 to 400 °C). The Mn content was varied from 0.86% to 2.54% and the best CO₂ conversion was achieved with the 1.71Mn-Ni/Al₂O₃ catalyst. The co-methanation tests on the 1.71Mn-Ni/Al₂O₃ catalyst indicated that adding Mn markedly enhanced the CO₂ methanation activity especially at low temperatures but it had little influence on the CO methanation performance. CO₂ methanation was more sensitive to the reaction temperature and the space velocity than the CO methanation in the co-methanation process.

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CO2 Capture Using CaO Modified with Ethanol/Water Solution during Cyclic Calcination/Carbonation

The calcium‐based sorbent cyclic calcination/carbonation reaction is an effective technique for capturing CO₂ from combustion processes. The CO₂ capture capacity for CaO modified with ethanol/water solution was investigated over long‐term calcination/carbonation cycles. In addition, the SEM micrographs and pore structure for the calcined sorbents were analyzed. The carbonation conversion for CaO modified with ethanol/water solution is greater than that for CaO hydrated with distilled water and is much higher than that for calcined limestone. Modified CaO achieves the highest conversion for carbonation at the range of 650–700 °C. Higher values of ethanol concentration in solution result in higher carbonation conversion for modified CaO, and lead to better anti‐sintering performance. After calcination, the specific surface area and pore volume for modified CaO are higher than those for hydrated CaO, and are much greater than those for calcined limestone. The ethanol molecule enhances H₂O molecule affinity and penetrability to CaO in the hydration reaction so that the pores in CaO modified are obviously expanded after calcination. CaO modified with ethanol/water solution can act as a new and promising type of calcium‐based regenerable CO₂ sorbent for industrial applications.     

CaO-Ca9Al6O18吸收剂的碳酸化反应动力学

以柠檬酸钙和硝酸铝为前体,采用湿法混合法制备了CaO质量分数为80%的CaO-Ca₉Al₆O₁₈吸收剂,并对其CO₂吸收性能进行了研究。结果表明,CaO-Ca₉Al₆O₁₈具有优异的CO₂吸收容量和长周期循环使用稳定性,经过50次循环使用后,其转化率仍保持在78%以上,远优于传统的CaO吸收剂。在500～700℃和CO₂分压为0.005～0.015 MPa条件下,研究了CaO-Ca₉Al₆O₁₈吸收剂的碳酸化反应动力学,分别采用离子反应模型和表观模型描述化学反应动力学控制阶段(快反应段)和产物层扩散阶段(慢反应段)。实验测得的吸收剂转化率与模型预测值吻合较好,快慢反应段的活化能分别为25.6、57.7 kJ·mol^-1。该动力学模型可准确模拟CaO-Ca₉Al₆O₁₈吸收剂在长周期循环使用条件下的碳酸化反应。     

Ni/La<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>-ZrO<Subscript>2</Subscript> catalyst for hydrogen production from steam reforming of acetic acid as a model compound of bio-oil

Hydrogen production from steam reforming of acetic acid was investigated over Ni/La₂O₃-ZrO₂ catalyst. A series of Ni/La₂O₃-ZrO₂ catalysts were synthesized by sol-gel method coupled with wet impregnation, which was characterized by XRD, BET, TEM, EDS, TG, SEM and TPR. Catalytic activity of Ni/La₂O₃-ZrO₂ was evaluated by steam reforming of acetic acid at the temperature range of 550-750 °C. The tetragonal phase La_0.1Zr_0.9O_1.95 is formed through the doping of La₂O₃ into the ZrO₂ lattice and nickel species are highly dispersed on the support with high specific surface area. H₂ yield and CO₂ yield of Ni/La₂O₃-ZrO₂ catalyst with 15%wt Ni reaches 89.27% and 80.41% at 600 °C, respectively, which is attributed to high BET surface area and sufficient Ni active sites in strong interaction with the support. 15%wt Ni supported on La₂O₃-ZrO₂ catalyst maintains relatively stable catalytic activities for a period of 20 h.     

Ni-Co bimetallic catalyst for CH<Subscript>4</Subscript> reforming with CO<Subscript>2</Subscript>

A co-precipitation method was employed to prepare Ni/Al₂O₃-ZrO₂, Co/Al₂ O₃-ZrO₂ and Ni-Co/Al₂O₃-ZrO₂ catalysts. Their properties were characterized by N₂ adsorption (BET), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), temperature-programmed desorption (CO₂-TPD), and temperature-programmed surface reaction (CH₄-TPSR and CO₂-TPSR). Ni-Co/Al₂O₃-ZrO₂ bimetallic catalyst has good performance in the reduction of active components Ni, Co and CO₂ adsorption. Compared with mono-metallic catalyst, bimetallic catalyst could provide more active sites and CO₂ adsorption sites (C + CO₂ = 2CO) for the methane-reforming reaction, and a more appropriate force formed between active components and composite support (SMSI) for the catalytic reaction. According to the CH₄-CO₂-TPSR, there were 80.9% and 81.5% higher CH₄ and CO₂ conversion over Ni-Co/Al₂O₃-ZrO₂ catalyst, and its better resistance to carbon deposition, less than 0.5% of coke after 4 h reaction, was found by TGA. The high activity and excellent anti-coking of the Ni-Co/Al₂O₃-ZrO₂ catalyst were closely related to the synergy between Ni and Co active metal, the strong metal-support interaction and the use of composite support.     

Preparation and Application of the Sol-Gel Combustion Synthesis-Made CaO/CaZrO3 Sorbent for Cyclic CO2 Capture Through the Severe Calcination Condition

abstract Calcium looping method has been considered as one of the efficient options to capture CO2 in the combustion flue gas. CaO-based sorbent is the basis for application of calcium looping and shou...     

A Novel Process for Renewable Methane Production: Combining Direct Air Capture by K<Subscript>2</Subscript>CO<Subscript>3</Subscript>/Alumina Sorbent with CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Methanation over Ru/Alumina Catalyst

CO₂ methanation over supported ruthenium catalysts is considered to be a promising process for carbon capture and utilization and power-to-gas technologies. In this work 4% Ru/Al₂O₃ catalyst was synthesized by impregnation of the support with an aqueous solution of Ru(OH)Cl₃, followed by liquid phase reduction using NaBH₄ and gas phase activation using the stoichiometric mixture of CO₂ and H₂ (1:4). Kinetics of CO₂ methanation reaction over the Ru/Al₂O₃ catalyst was studied in a perfectly mixed reactor at temperatures from 200 to 300 °C. The results showed that dependence of the specific activity of the catalyst on temperature followed the Arrhenius law. CO₂ conversion to methane was shown to depend on temperature, water vapor pressure and CO₂:H₂ ratio in the gas mixture. The Ru/Al₂O₃ catalyst was later tested together with the K₂CO₃/Al₂O₃ composite sorbent in the novel direct air capture/methanation process, which combined in one reactor consecutive steps of CO₂ adsorption from the air at room temperature and CO₂ desorption/methanation in H₂ flow at 300 or 350 °C. It was demonstrated that the amount of desorbed CO₂ was practically the same for both temperatures used, while the total conversion of carbon dioxide to methane was 94.2–94.6% at 300 °C and 96.1–96.5% at 350 °C.     

Hydrogen production via sorption enhanced reforming of methane: Development of a novel hybrid material—reforming catalyst and CO2 sorbent

This study presents the development and the evaluation of a new hybrid material, NiO–CaO–Ca₁₂Al₁₄O₃₃, which functions simultaneously as reforming catalyst and CO₂ sorbent for application in sorption enhanced reforming. CaO–Ca₁₂Al₁₄O₃₃ acts as an effective CO₂ sorbent and also as a support for the active metallic Ni particles. This idea aims to overcome the complex problems related with handling of the two different solids (catalyst and CO₂ sorbent) required for sorption enhanced reforming and also to increase the industrial potential of the process by decreasing the cost of the total solid material used. The CO₂ fixation ability of the new material (56% carbonation conversion) remains unchanged for 45 cycles of sorption-desorption. It is assumed that the presence of NiO acts synergetically with Ca₁₂Al₁₄O₃₃ to the excellent stability of the novel material compared with other CaO-based sorbents. The effect of NiO loading on the catalytic functionality of the material, under methane sorption enhanced reforming conditions was studied and the results showed that conversion goes through a maximum (80%) in the presence of the hybrid material with 16 wt% Ni loading. The hybrid material with the optimum metallic loading was tested at 650 °C and methane to steam ratio equal to 3.4. The presence of free CaO resulted in the capture of CO₂ formed, producing a stream rich in H₂ (90%) and poor in CO₂ (2.8%) and CO (2%).     

Formation of La<Subscript>2</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript> crystals from amorphous La<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>-TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> powders synthesized by the polymerized complex method

Amorphous La₂O-TiO₂ powders were synthesized by the polymerized complex (PC) method. The activation energies for crystallization and grain growth of La₂Ti₂O₇ from these precursors were determined from results of XRD and DTA and compared with those for La₂Ti₂O₇ precursors by the conventional solid-state reaction (SSR). Activation energy of grain growth of La₂Ti₂O₇ in PC-sample was determined to be 7.1 kJ/mol while that of SSR sample was 14.8 kJ/mol. The energy required for the phase transformation from amorphous PC sample to layered perovskite was 432 kJ/mol, while the SSR sample did not show this transition below 900‡C. It was clearly demonstrated that the La₂Ti₂O₇ crystals were formed at a lower temperature and they grew in size faster in the sample prepared by the PC method relative to the sample prepared by the SSR method. Mixing of elements in molecular level in PC preparation appeared responsible for these differences.