Experimental Analysis and Process Modeling of Carbon Dioxide Removal Using Tuff

Emanuele Bonamente, Andrea Aquino, Andrea Nicolini and Franco Cotana
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Emanuele Bonamente: Department of Engineering, University of Perugia, Via G. Duranti, 06125 Perugia, Italy
Andrea Aquino: Interuniversity Research Center on Pollution and Environment, University of Perugia, Via G. Duranti 67, 06125 Perugia, Italy
Andrea Nicolini: Department of Engineering, University of Perugia, Via G. Duranti, 06125 Perugia, Italy
Franco Cotana: Department of Engineering, University of Perugia, Via G. Duranti, 06125 Perugia, Italy

Sustainability, 2016, vol. 8, issue 12, 1-15

Abstract: Removal of carbon dioxide via selective adsorption is a key process to obtain consumer-grade natural gas from biogas and, more generally, CO 2 capture and sequestration from gaseous mixtures. The aim of this work is the characterization and classification of a natural alternative to synthetic zeolites that could be used as a carbon dioxide adsorbent. Tuff particulate, easily available as a byproduct of the construction industry, was tested with different laboratory procedures to verify its suitability for CO 2 removal applications. Relevant physical and adsorption properties were measured during an intensive experimental campaign. Porosity, pore size distribution, and specific surface area were obtained with mercury intrusion porosimetry. Adsorption isotherms and saturation curves were obtained using two custom experimental apparatuses. The selective adsorption was finally modeled using an original phenomenological parameterization, and a simplified simulation of the process was performed using a computational fluid dynamic approach, validated against observed data. Results show that natural zeolites represent a very promising and sustainable alternative to synthetic zeolites in pressure swing adsorption processes for CO 2 removal.

Keywords: carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) removal; biogas upgrading; natural zeolites; computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations; adsorption (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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