Integration of solid acid catalyst and ceramic membrane to boost amine-based CO₂ desorption

Amine-based absorption has matured into an established technology for CO₂ capture from fossil fuel power plants. However, high energy consumption for CO₂ desorption remains a challenge. Herein, we report a promising integration of a solid acid catalyst (i.e., HZSM-5) filled into a vapor permeable-liquid impermeable tubular α-Al₂O₃ ceramic membrane for boosting CO₂ desorption from aqueous monoethanolamine (MEA) solution. Experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of catalyst weight, temperature, pressure, liquid flow rate and CO₂ loading on CO₂ desorption rate and energy consumption. Furthermore, 60 runs of cyclic tests were carried out to assess the stable CO₂ desorption rate and the thermal and chemical stability of both the HZSM-5 catalyst and the α-Al₂O₃ membrane. The experiment results demonstrated that the HZSM-5 filled α-Al₂O₃ ceramic membrane contactor exhibited high CO₂ desorption performance and long-term stability. It is anticipated that integration of solid acid catalyst with porous ceramic membrane holds great promise in practical application to boost the CO₂ desorption rate and reduce the energy requirement.