This technology is an electrochemical method and process for recycling alkaline solvents used in carbon dioxide capture and recovery.
Carbon dioxide scrubbers that use alkaline solutions to chemically remove carbon dioxide from industrial exhaust are becoming increasingly popular. However, current methods of recycling the sorbent and isolating carbon dioxide are time-consuming and labor-intensive. While transporting the liquid is relatively simple, rejuvenation of the sorbent is costly and inefficient because it typically requires the precipitation of calcium carbonate and subsequent calcination to recover carbon dioxide.
This technology presents an electrochemical method for increasing the efficiency of sorbent recycling. Electrodialysis with bipolar membranes is used to separate carbon dioxide from other components of the solution, thus eliminating the need to precipitate captured carbon as a mineral solid. Importantly, this technology allows more carbon dioxide to be kept in solution for simple handling and processing. Furthermore, this approach reduces the time and cost of regenerating the alkaline solvent and isolating carbon dioxide. This technology is highly versatile and can be easily deployed in many different ways, allowing it to integrate easily with existing carbon dioxide scrubbers for several industrial applications.
Klaus Lackner, Ph.D.
IR M05-031
Licensing Contact: Richard Nguyen