Carbon Dioxide Capture Using Poly(ethylenimine)-Impregnated Poly(methyl methacrylate)-Supported Sorbents

Abstract

Solid amine sorbents having adequate particle size with high CO2 adsorption capacity were successfully prepared using poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) as the amine and mesoporous poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) beads as the support. The PEI-impregnated PMMA-supported sorbent exhibited CO2 adsorption capacity up to 4.26 mmol/g with PMMA-55 at 75 degrees C in pure CO2 gas flow. The effect of the temperature on the adsorption capacity of PMMA-55 was investigated, and the maximum adsorption capacity was obtained at 50 degrees C with a CO2 exposure time of 180 min, different from the tendency of most silica-supported sorbents. The effect of surfactant addition on the adsorption performance of PMMA-supported sorbents differed from those of silica-supported sorbents because of the different surface characteristics between PMMA and silica. Adsorption/desorption cycling was also performed to examine the suitability of the amine sorbent for potential application.