CO₂ capture by adsorption processes - vacuum swing adsorption

Adsorption processes for CO₂ capture from a variety of process streams have received increasing attention as the concern over climate change becomes more urgent. A study on how to exploit the adsorbent ? process synergy to produce a viable vacuum swing adsorption design was carried out. Initial economic evaluation indicates promise for the technology although several obstacles still remain, e.g., the presence of water and impurities in the stream and the large scale of operation. However, the great advances in materials development coupled to careful adaptation of process conditions means that there will be a role for adsorption processes in CO₂ capture in the future. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the 2007 AIChE Annual Meeting (Salt Lake City, UT 11/4-9/2007).