Materials challenges in CO2 capture and storage

Abstract

To achieve deep reductions in CO₂ emission from power generation, technologies for CO₂ capture and storage are required to complement other approaches such as improved fuel use efficiency, the switch to low carbon fuels, and the use of renewable and nuclear energy. Three main options currently exist for CO₂ capture: removal of CO₂ from the flue gas; removal of carbon from the fuel before combustion; and oxyfuel combustion systems that have CO₂ and water, which can be separated by condensation, as principal combustion products. On the transport and storage side, the materials issues arise from corrosion and may be solved by drying and purification of the CO₂ stream. On the capture side, there are few specific issues regarding the materials used in technologies such as chemical absorption of CO₂ in an appropriate solvent (usually amines). The high temperature membranes used to separate oxygen from nitrogen in oxyfuel combustion systems raise materials issues in relation to ionic conduction, thermal and mechanical stability and lifetime when integrated in boilers, fluidised beds and gas turbine systems. The performance of systems integrating ceramic oxygen separating membranes is largely dependant on operating temperature, so the behaviour of these materials at ever higher temperatures is a real technical challenge. Membranes can also be used instead of chemical absorption for the separation of CO₂ and hydrogen in fuel de-carbonisation.