Experimental and numerical characterization of sorbents for plasma-assisted carbon capture and utilization

The escalating concentration of greenhouse gases, particularly CO₂, in the atmosphere underscores the critical need for the development of effective CO₂ capture and mitigation strategies to address climate change. Among the various carbon capture technologies, the adsorption of CO₂ on solid sorbents is a highly promising approach. However, a key challenge remains in optimizing the desorption process, which is essential not only for the efficient release of captured CO₂ but also for the regeneration and reuse of sorbent materials. This project presents a comprehensive comparative investigation of thermal desorption and plasma-assisted desorption for CO₂ capture and conversion, utilizing a DBD plasma reactor. The study systematically examines three fundamental stages of the CO₂ capture process—adsorption, flushing, and desorption—using three distinct solid sorbents: Zeolite 5A, Zeolite 13X, and Hydrotalcite MG30. Through experimental analysis under varying power conditions, different flow rates during the desorption phase, and the use of different carrier gases, this research assesses the impact of plasma effects on CO₂ desorption efficiency and its subsequent conversion for utilization. Notably, the findings highlight a key distinction between the two desorption methods: while thermal desorption solely facilitates the release of CO₂ without inducing any molecular transformation, plasma-assisted desorption enables in-situ CO₂ conversion (splitting), thus opening pathways for its further utilization. Under specific experimental conditions, plasma-assisted desorption demonstrates advantages over conventional thermal desorption, including potential reductions in energy consumption and enhanced CO₂ conversion efficiency. Furthermore, this study integrates both experimental and numerical characterization of sorbents, aiming to develop and validate a predictive model capable of accurately describing the desorption mechanisms in both thermal and plasma-assisted processes.