Analysis of dynamic CO2 capture over 13X zeolite monoliths in the presence of SOx,NOx and humidity

In this investigation, the CO₂ capture performances of zeolite 13X monoliths with 600 and 800 cells per square inch (cpsi) in the presence of SO₂/NO impurities under dry and humid conditions were evaluated and compared with that of 13X beads. Dynamic breakthrough tests demonstrated a drastic reduction in CO₂ capture capacity and deterioration of kinetics under dry-clean conditions, whereas, upon switching the feed from a clean gas to contaminated gas which contained SO₂ and NO, different adsorption performance was observed. Specifically, in dry-contaminated mode, the adsorbents retained their capture capacities with comparable kinetics to that of dry-clean feed conditions, however, in humid-contaminated mode, the adsorbents experienced improved CO₂ uptake and CO₂/N₂ selectivity, albeit at the expense of deteriorated kinetics. These findings indicate that the presence of SO₂ and NO contaminants, especially SO₂ contaminants, lead to dramatic changes in the adsorption performance of zeolite 13X monoliths, indicating the importance of evaluating adsorbent materials under realistic conditions.