Grantee Research Project Results
Capturing CO2 with MgO Aerogels
EPA Grant Number: SU835339Title: Capturing CO2 with MgO Aerogels
Investigators: Dong, Winny
Current Investigators: Dong, Winny , Slackey, Cornelius , Kok, David , Li, Mingheng , Faltens, Tanya , Pan, Yu Hsin (Cindy)
Institution: California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: I
Project Period: August 15, 2012 through August 14, 2013
Project Amount: $14,644
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2012) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Challenge Area - Air Quality , P3 Challenge Area - Chemical Safety , P3 Awards , Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Objective:
The objectives of this study are to determine and optimize MgO’s CO2 adsorption capacity in a simulated flue gas environment for implementation in various chemical and power plants, and to characterize the both the adsorption and desorption kinetics to determine the practicality and economic feasibility of using MgO aerogels as a CO2 capture medium for those industries. Some examples of industries that produce flue gases with a high concentration of CO2 are fossil fuel-fired power plants, industrial furnaces, amine plants, and cement plants.
Approach:
In order to simulate the flue gas capture environment, we propose to build a test chamber that can be fed a variety of gases at the appropriate flow rate and temperature. A small packed-bed reactor will also be used in order to test the aerogels under more realistic conditions. The interdisciplinary team of undergraduate students will build the test chamber, the pack-bed reactor, and collect data on the CO2 adsorption capacity of MgO aerogels under these conditions. This will be compared to that of commercially available adsorbents.
Expected Results:
CO2 capture from flue gas requires that the adsorbent be active at relatively low CO2 concentrations (3 – 13 vol%), high temperatures (~ 250ºC), and in the presence of many other gas species. These conditions will be simulated in the student designed reactor. The amount of CO2 adsorbed will be measured for MgO aerogels, commercially obtained crystalline MgO, and other commercially available CO2 adsorbents such as hydrotalcite and Na-doped alumina.
Publications and Presentations:
Publications have been submitted on this project: View all 1 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
none.Progress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.