Investigating the Chemical Mechanisms of CO2 Absorption and Conversion

In the present study, the chemical mechanisms of CO2 absorption and conversion have been investigated. Today, it is widely assessed that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are one of the most challenging environmental issues and carbon dioxide is the largest source of human GHG. Greenhouse gas emissions have increased dramatically since the beginning of the industrial era until 2018: In 2018, average CO2 concentrations were about 40% higher than in the mid-19th century, with an average growth of 2 ppm per year in the last 10 years 2 and even 3 ppm per year since 2015. Among human activities producing greenhouse gases, the combustion of fuels for electricity and heat is the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions, accounting for more than 42% of human CO2 emissions, where 43% and 26% of these gases are respectively industrial and residential needs are allocated. Apart from energy production, direct emission of CO2 caused by vehicle transportation (23%) and industrial processes (19%) are the main factors of CO2 emission caused by human activities. In addition, global energy demand is expected to increase over the years and even double by 2050. As a result, the combination of the two units leads to a single linked unit, especially in the case of the reuse of heat provided by the exothermic reactions of methanol for the regeneration of the CO2 storage solvent. An economic evaluation is proposed to estimate the operating and investment costs as well as the net present value, which shows that the economic feasibility strongly depends on the costs of electricity and H2 production. A life cycle analysis method is finally performed to identify key environmental points. The original process design offers significant reductions in greenhouse gases (in addition to other groups) compared to conventional fossil production of natural gas.

Investigating the Chemical Mechanisms of CO2 Absorption and Conversion Keywords:

Carbon Dioxide Absorption , Greenhouse Gases , Industrial Processes , Methanol Exothermal Reactions