Probing the potential of polyester for CO₂ capture

J Environ Sci (China). 2014 Jul;26(7):1423-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jes.2014.05.007. Epub 2014 Jun 15.

Abstract

Global warming, the major environmental issue confronted by humanity today, is caused by rising level of green house gases. Carbon capture and storage technologies offer potential for tapering CO₂ emission in the atmosphere. Adsorption is believed to be a promising technology for CO₂ capture. For this purpose, a polyester was synthesized by polycondensation of 1,3,5-benzenetricarbonyl trichloride and cyanuric acid in pyridine and dichloromethane mixture. The polymer was then characterized using FT-IR, TGA, BET surface area and pore size analysis, FESEM and CO₂ adsorption measurements. The CO₂ adsorption capacities of the polyester were evaluated at a pressure of 1bar and two different temperatures (273 and 298K). The performance of these materials to adsorb CO₂ at atmospheric pressure was measured by optimum CO₂ uptake of 0.244 mmol/g at 273K. The synthesized polyester, therefore, has the potential to be exploited as CO₂ adsorbent in pre-combustion capture process.

Keywords: CO(2) capture; FESEM; Polyester; TGA.

MeSH terms

  • Adsorption
  • Carbon Dioxide / chemistry*
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  • Molecular Probes
  • Polyesters / chemistry*
  • Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
  • Thermogravimetry

Substances

  • Molecular Probes
  • Polyesters
  • Carbon Dioxide