Optimization of plasma-assisted carbon capture and utilization systems

This project investigated the efficiency and thermal stability of two mesoporous silica structures, MCM-41 and SBA-15, functionalized with (3-Aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane for plasma-assisted carbon capture and utilization systems. CO2 adsorption-desorption performance was assessed at electric inputs of 10 W, 20 W, and 30 W using a temperature swing adsorption reactor and a co-axial dielectric barrier discharge reactor for plasma-assisted desorption. Thermal tests revealed that functionalized SBA-15 outperformed MCM-41 at 10 W, with comparable adsorption capacities but superior chemo-mechanical stability. However, at higher power levels, functionalized MCM-41 demonstrated nearly double the adsorption capacity and lower amine degradation compared to SBA-15. In contrast, plasma-assisted tests showed that at lower energy inputs, MCM-41 overcame SBA-15, exhibiting lower amine loss and more consistent CO2 adsorption over multiple cycles. Additionally, its slower desorption rates led to higher CO2 conversion and improved corrected energy efficiency than SBA-15. At higher energy inputs, grafted SBA-15 demonstrated superior performance despite greater amine loss, maintaining a higher adsorption capacity over multiple cycles. The higher desorption rates counteract the low CO2 conversion resulting in higher corrected energy efficiency than MCM-41. In conclusion, if the technology is devoted to the CO2 capture only, functionalized MCM-41 offers the best performance at 20 and 30 W. Conversely, if the technology is devoted to the CO2 capture and utilization, both supports can deliver good results with careful selection of the proper power level and desorption interval based on its amine loading and pore geometry. These findings provide a robust database for the selection of the most suitable operative conditions, development of optimized solutions and quantification of the sustainability of industrial processes based on plasma-assisted CCU solutions.