Carbon Dioxide Capture from Powerplant Flue Gas Using Activated Carbon

Global warming, caused by rising greenhouse gases (GHG) in the troposphere (or enhanced greenhouse effect), has received increasing attention in recent years. The greenhouse effect is a natural process in which solar energy is transmitted through the atmosphere warming the earth. The infra-red radiation reflected from the earth surface is trapped by GHG in our atmosphere thereby causing a warming effect on the earth and making it able to maintain life. Global warming occurs when these GHG increase beyond natural levels resulting in increasing temperatures. A relatively inexpensive process for CO2 capture from flue gas is needed to make reduction of CO2 emissions an economically viable global goal. CO2 was chemically adsorbed and the CO2 uptake occurred at a temperature of 60C and the entrapped CO2 was released at 150C to shift the reaction in the reverse direction. When compared to other processes such as the conventional amine process this work provides an efficient, low utility cost and energy-conservative effect and may be applicable to existing fossil fuel combustion sources.