Bench-Scale Apparatus for Rapid, Simultaneous, Comprehensive Vapor–Liquid Equilibrium and Kinetic Property Measurements to Advance CO2 Capture Solvent Technology

We present here, the design, fabrication, and testing of a new “pressure, volume, temperature (PVT)” apparatus that enables rapid standardized testing for viscosity, vapor–liquid equilibria, and kinetics for water-lean carbon capture solvents. This unit is the first of its kind where equilibrium data are collected during operation as a PTx (pressure–temperature–composition) cell while kinetic data are collected simultaneously with an internal mini wetted-wall contactor (WWC) using controlled adjustments of CO₂ injections to allow for measurements of gas flux (in and out of the liquid). Additionally, in situ measurements of viscosity data are also continuously collected while a solvent is in circulation during gas absorption. This cell empowers comprehensive testing of critical CO₂ capture solvent properties in a single measurement, ensuring all data are collected at the same temperature, pressure, and CO₂ loading. This apparatus also expedites screening of materials since less than 50 mL of sample is needed as compared to 2–3 L needed to get similar data from a conventional WWC. We describe here the methodology of data collected on this new PVT cell, nicknamed “Gary” in honor of Professor Gary Rochelle, for multiple water-lean amine solvents, which we compare to data collected from conventional instrumentation for amine testing.