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Post-combustion carbon capture

The Full Story

In post-combustion carbon capture, residual coke (a byproduct of the refining process) is burned in industrial processes, power plant flue gases, or process heaters in order to capture CO2.

The amount of CO2 in the flue gas is minimal because fuels are burned using air. It can be difficult to separate this CO2 from the significant amount of nitrogen in the flue gas in an efficient and cost-effective manner. In order to recover the CO2 for storage and transportation, the flue gas must be compressed significantly because it is now at almost atmospheric pressure.

Once more, common methods for absorbing this CO2 are as follows:

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Absorbance of solvents


Membranes as Adsorbents

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It's possible that current power plants would find post-combustion carbon capture appealing.  However, there are substantial economic and energy-related obstacles due to the size of the equipment needed to absorb CO2 in major power plants.

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A power plant's thermal efficiency is decreased by post-combustion carbon capture, needing more fuel to produce the same amount of electricity. Due to their tiny size, it is also unlikely to be cost-effective for the conventional process heaters used in chemical plants and refineries.

The most formidable obstacle to a successful and effective post-combustion capture process is the carbon's separation from emissions. Different ingredients and amounts of CO2 are present in the burning of each type of fuel. Each type requires a certain set of capture techniques.

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The most formidable obstacle to a successful and effective post-combustion capture process is the carbon's separation from emissions. Different elements and amounts of CO2 are present in the combustion of each type of fuel. It is necessary to design specific capture techniques for every kind of energy source.

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