(703b) New Adsorbent for Post-Combustion CO2 Capture: Modification of 13X Zeolite By Molecular Layer Deposition

The objective of this multidisciplinary project is to develop a transformational molecular layer deposition (MLD) tailor-made sorbent integrated with a tailored pressure swing adsorption (PSA) cycle schedule that can be installed in new or retrofitted into existing pulverized coal (PC) power plants for CO₂ capture with a cost of electricity lower than a supercritical PC with CO₂ capture. The proposed MLD technology builds on pioneering work on precisely altering the properties of an adsorbent by pore misalignment outside the sorbent cavity or cage or by simply coating the interval cavity or cage, or both. The optimized sorbents to date are showing CO₂/N₂ selectivity as high as 130, much higher than state-of-the-art commercial sorbents like 13X zeolite with similar CO₂ capacity under similar adsorption conditions. This perhaps enables the economical achievement of 95% CO₂ purity with 90% CO₂ recovery using a PSA cycle schedule tailored to the MLD adsorbent. The project team is comprised of researchers from UB, RPI, UofSC, Gas Technology Institute (GTI), Trimeric Corporation (Trimeric), and the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC). The program uses each team member’s unique expertise (UB/RPI: sorbent development; UofSC: innovational PSA process integration with sorbents; GTI: field testing processing and engineering; Trimeric: TEA) which is critical to developing the transformational and revolutionary MLD tailor-made sorbent/PSA technology for bench-scale testing, and to achieve DOE cost and performance targets. This presentation will present some of the latest results from this project, including MLD sorbent development, characterization and testing, and/or PSA cycle development and testing, all compared to commercial 13X zeolite. One of the key features of this MLD sorbent is that it is apparently more tolerant to water vapor then commercial 13X zeolite, making it perhaps less energy intensive for capturing CO₂ from a PC power plant.