Reducing Energy Penalty of CO2 Capture Using Fe Promoted SO42–/ZrO2/MCM-41 Catalyst

The high energy consumption of CO2-loaded solvent regeneration is the biggest impediment for the real application of the amine-based CO2 capture process. To lower the energy requirement, three Fe promoted SO42–/ZrO2 supported on MCM-41 (SZMF) catalysts with different iron oxide content (5%, 10%, and 15%) were synthesized and applied for the rich monoethanolamine solution regeneration process at 98 °C. Results reveal that the use of SZMF hugely enhanced the CO2 desorption performances (i.e., desorption factor) by 260–388% and reduced the heat duty by about 28–40%, which is better than most of the reported catalysts for this purpose. The eminent catalytic activities of SZMF are related to their enhanced ratio of Brønsted to Lewis acid sites, weak acid sites, basic sites, and high dispersed Fe3+ species. Meanwhile, the addition of SZMF for CO2 desorption shows a promotional effect on its CO2 absorption performance, and SZMF presents an excellent cyclic stability. A possible mechanism is suggested for the SZMF catalyzed CO2 desorption process. Results of this work may provide direction for future research and rational design of more efficient catalysts for this potential catalyst-aided CO2 desorption technology.