Effect of operating variables on CO2 adsorption capacity of activated carbon, kaolinite, and activated carbon – kaolinite composite adsorbent

Global climate change is currently a major problem and is thought to be due to high levels of CO₂ and other greenhouse gases. Several technologies have been built to lower CO₂ emissions. Adsorption, a promising technology for CO₂ capture, is among these technologies. In addition to adsorbent development, it is essential to determine the influence of operating variables on developed materials. Therefore, in this study, an activated carbon (AC), kaolinite (KAO) and kaolinite-activated carbon (KAC) composite adsorbent characterized was evaluated for CO₂ adsorption. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of operating variables on the CO₂ adsorption capacity of each adsorbent (activated carbon, kaolinite, and kaolinite – activated carbon composite) and select the most suitable to serve as the solid anchor in the production of a hydrophobic adsorbent material for CO₂ capture. Then, Scanning Electron Microscopy, N₂ physisorption and Fourier Transform Infrared were tested for the morphology, surface area and functional groups of the adsorbents, respectively. The CO₂ adsorption capacity of the adsorbents was measured using a custom-built 1.0 cm internal diameter adsorption column at of 30 to 70 mL/min bed height, of 3 to 5 cm operating temperature, and of 30 to 70 °C and CO₂ feed flow rates. The maximum amounts of AC, KAC and KAO CO₂ adsorbed to were found to be 28.97 mg CO₂/g, 18.54 mg CO₂/g and 12.98 mg CO₂/g, respectively.