Carbon dioxide capture using a superhydrophobic ceramic hollow fibre membrane for gas-liquid contacting process

摘要

This work initiates the development of clean technology in carbon dioxide (CO2) capture using ceramic membrane inspired by gas -liquid contacting system. A low cost, high performance superhydrophobic kaolin -alumina hollow fibre membrane was prepared via phase inversion -based extrusion and sintering techniques, followed by a grafting with fluoroalkylsilane (FAS). The membrane was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), gas permeation test, contact angle, wetting resistance, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The fabricated membrane was highly porous, thus increasing the gas permeation rate. By surface modification, the membrane contact angle was increased from 0 to 142 degrees. In fact, wettability resistance of the membrane was also improved. The membrane was subsequently applied in membrane contactor for carbon dioxide (CO2) absorption. The CO2 absorption flux as high as 0.18 mol m(-2) s(-1) was achieved at the liquid flow rate of 100 mL min(-1) which was far above the fluxes of some commercial and in-house made polymeric and ceramic membranes. In conclusion, the modified kaolin -alumina hollow fibre membrane with the superhydrophobic surface, high permeance, and absorption flux is suitable for CO2 post combustion capture, due to its outstanding chemical and thermal stabilities. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.