NETL: CO2 Emissions Control

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Post-Combustion CO₂ Control

Post-combustion CO₂ control systems separate CO₂ from the flue gas produced by conventional coal combustion in air. The flue gas is at atmospheric pressure and has a CO₂ concentration of 10-15 volume percent. Read More!

Capturing CO₂ under these conditions is challenging because: (1) the low pressure and dilute concentration dictate a high total volume of gas to be treated; (2) trace impurities in the flue gas tend to reduce the effectiveness of the CO₂ separation processes; and (3) compressing captured CO₂ from atmospheric pressure to pipeline pressure (1,200 - 2,200 pounds per square inch) represents a large parasitic energy load.

DOE/NETL's post-combustion CO₂ control technology R&D program includes projects directed at the use of solvents, solid sorbents, and membranes. Amine-based solvent systems are in commercial use for scrubbing CO₂ from industrial flue gases and process gases. However, solvents have not been used to remove large volumes of CO₂ as would be encountered in a PC-fired utility boiler flue gas. Solid sorbents can be used to capture CO₂ from flue gas through chemical adsorption, physical adsorption, or a combination of the two effects. Possible configurations for contacting the flue gas with solid sorbents include fixed, moving, and fluidized beds. Membrane-based capture uses permeable or semi-permeable materials that allow for the selective transport/separation of CO₂ from flue gas.

DOE/NETL is currently funding multiple post-combustion CO₂ emission control projects employing each of these three approaches. These R&D efforts are being performed by external research organizations and academic institutions, as shown below, and by NETL's Office of Research and Development (ORD), specifically the Separations and Fuels Processing Division and the Office of Computational Dynamics.

The In-House Post-Combustion CO₂ Control webpage provides detailed information regarding NETL’s internal R&D. Collapse Text

DOE/NETL's post-combustion CO₂ control technology R&D includes external research projects directed at the use of solvents, solid sorbents, and membranes. Each of the sections below lists on-going and completed projects and provides a link for more information on each project.

Solvents
Active and completed projects researching solvents for post-combustion CO₂ control.

Solvent Projects (click to expand / close)

*Active Solvent Projects*
Research and Education of CO₂ Separation from Coal Combustion Flue Gases with Regenerable Magnesium Solutions	University of Cincinnati
	DE-FE0001834
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Application of A Heat-Integrated Post-combustion CO₂ Capture System with Hitachi Advanced Solvent into Existing Coal-Fired Power Plant NEW!	University of Kentucky Research Foundation
	DE-FE0007395
	Pilot scale (0.7 MWe)
Slipstream Pilot-Scale Demonstration of a Novel Amine-Based Post-Combustion Process Technology for CO₂ Capture from Coal-Fired Power Plant Flue Gas NEW!	Linde LLC
	DE-FE0007453
	Pilot scale (1 MWe)
Development and Demonstration of Waste Heat Integration with Solvent Process for More Efficient CO₂ Removal NEW!	Southern Company Services
	DE-FE0007525
	Pilot scale (25 MWe)
Carbon Absorber Retrofit Equipment (CARE) NEW!	Neumann Systems Group
	DE-FE0007528
	Pilot scale (0.5 MWe)
CO₂ Binding Organic Liquids Gas Capture with Polarity-Swing-Assisted Regeneration NEW!	Battelle Pacific Northwest Dicision
	DE-FE0007466
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Development of an Energy Efficient, Environmentally Friendly Solvent for the Capture of CO₂ NEW!	Babcock & Wilcox
	DE-FE0007716
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Development of a Novel Gas Pressurized Stripping Process-Based Technology for CO₂ Capture NEW!	Carbon Capture Scientific, LLC
	DE-FE0007567
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Low-Energy Solvents for CO₂ Capture Enabled by a Combination of Enzymes and Ultrasonics NEW!	Novozymes North America, Inc.
	DE-FE0007741
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Bench-Scale Silicone Process for Low-Cost CO₂ Capture NEW!	General Electric Global Research
	FE0007502
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Bench-Scale Development of a Hot Carbonate Absorption Process with Crystallization-Enabled High Pressure Stripping for Post-Combustion CO₂ Capture	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
	DE-FE0004360
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Advanced Low Energy Enzyme Catalyzed Solvent for CO₂ Capture	Akermin, Inc.
	DE-FE0004228
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Novel Solvent System for Post Combustion CO₂ Capture	ION Engineering, LLC
	DE-FE0005799
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Evaluation of Concentrated Piperazine for CO₂ Capture from Coal-Fired Flue Gas	URS Corporation
	DE-FE0005654
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Post-Combustion CO₂ Capture for Existing PC Boilers by Self-Concentrating Amine Absorbent	3 H Company, LLC
	DE-FE0004274
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Slipstream Development and Testing of Siemens POSTCAP Capture and Separation Technology	Siemens Energy Inc.
	DE-FE0003714
	Pilot scale (2.5 MW)
Reversible Ionic Liquids as Double-Action Solvents for Efficient CO₂ Capture	Georgia Tech Research Corporation
	DE-NT0005287
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Development and Evaluation of a Novel Integrated Vacuum Carbonate Absorption Process	Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois (ISGS)
	DE-NT0005498
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Ionic Liquids: Breakthrough Absorption Technology for Post-Combustion CO₂ Capture	University of Notre Dame
	FC26-07NT43091
	Laboratory/ bench scale
National Carbon Capture Center at the Power Systems Development Facility	Southern Company Services, Inc.
	FC26-08NT0000749
	Laboratory/ bench & pilot scale (.5 MWe)
*Completed Solvent Projects*
Novel High Capacity Oligomers for Low Cost CO₂ Capture	GE Global Research
	DE-NT0005310
	Laboratory/ bench scale
CO₂ Capture from Flue Gas by Phase Transitional Absorption	Hampton University
	FG26-05NT42488
	Laboratory/ bench scale
A Low Energy, Low Cost Process for Stripping Carbon Dioxide from Absorbents	AIL Systems, Inc.
	FG02-06ER84592 SBIR
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Advanced Amine Solvent Formulation and Process Integration for Near-Term CO₂ Capture Success	Trimeric Corporation
	FG02-06ER84625 SBIR
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Design and Evaluation of Ionic Liquids as Novel Absorbents	University of Notre Dame
	FG26-04NT42122
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Carbon Dioxide Capture by Absorption with Potassium Carbonate	University of Texas at Austin
	FC26-02NT41440
	Laboratory/ bench scale

Sorbents
Active and completed projects researching solid sorbents for post-combustion CO₂ control.

Sorbent Projects (click to expand / close)

*Active Sorbent Projects*
SO₂-Resistent Immobilized Amine Sorbents for CO₂ Capture	The University of Akron
	DE-FE0001780
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Bench-Scale Development and Testing of Rapid PSA for CO₂ Capture NEW!	W.R. Grace
	DE-FE0007639
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Novel Solid Sorbents for Post-Combustion CO₂ Capture NEW!	RTI, Inc.
	DE-FE0007707
	Laboratory/ bench scale
A Low-Cost, High-Capacity Regenerable Sorbent for CO₂ Capture From Existing Coal-Fired Power Plants NEW!	TDA Research, Inc.
	DE-FE0007580
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Bench-Scale Development & Testing of a Novel Adsorption Process NEW!	InnoSepra, LLC
	DE-FE0007948
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Rapid Temperature Swing Adsorption Using Polymer/Supported Amine Composite Hollow Fibers NEW!	Georgia Tech Research Corporation
	DE-FE0007804
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Evaluation of CO₂ Capture from Existing Coal-Fired Plants by Hybrid Sorption Using Solid Sorbents (CACHYS™) NEW!	University of North Dakota
	DE-FE0007603
	Laboratory/ bench scale
CO₂ Capture from Flue Gas Using Solid Molecular Basket Sorbents	Pennsylvania State University
	FE0000458
	Bench Scale
Evaluation of Solid Sorbents as a Retrofit Technology for CO₂ Capture	ADA-Environmental Solutions Inc.
	DE-FE0004343
	Pilot scale (1 MW)
Low Cost Sorbent for Capturing CO₂ Emissions Generated by Existing Coal-Fired Power Plants	TDA Research, Inc.
	DE-NT0005497
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Development of Novel Carbon Sorbents for CO₂ Capture	SRI International
	DE-NT0005578
	Laboratory/ bench scale
*Completed Sorbent Projects*
Evaluation of Solid Sorbents as a Retrofit Technology for CO₂ Capture from Coal-Fired Power Plants	ADA-Environmental Solutions Inc.
	DE-NT0005649
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Metal Monolithic Amine-Grafted Zeolites for CO₂ Capture	University of Akron
	FC26-07NT43086
	Laboratory/ bench scale
CO₂ Removal from Flue Gas Using Microporous Metal Organic Frameworks	UOP LLC
	FC26-07NT43092
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Development of a Dry Sorbent-Based Post Combustion CO₂ Capture Technology for Retrofit in Existing Power Plants	RTI International
	FC26-07NT43089
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Carbon Dioxide Separation with Novel Microporous Metal Organic Frameworks	UOP LLC
	FG26-04NT42121
	Laboratory/ bench scale
CO₂ Recovery from Flue Gas using Carbon-Supported Amine Sorbents	Advanced Fuel Research, Inc.
	FG02-04ER83885 SBIR
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Carbon Dioxide Capture from Flue Gas Using Dry Regenerable Sorbents	RTI International
	FC26-00NT40923
	Laboratory/ bench scale

Membranes
Active and completed projects researching membranes for post-combustion CO₂ control.

Membrane Projects (click to expand / close)

*Active Membrane Projects*
Novel Inorganic/Polymer Composite Membranes NEW!	Ohio State University
	DE-FE0007632
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Bench-Scale High-Performance Thin Film Composite Hollow Fiber Membranes for Post-Combustion Carbon Dioxide Capture NEW!	General Electric Global Research
	DE-FE0007514
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Electrochemical Membranes for Carbon Dioxide Capture and Power Generation NEW!	FuelCell Energy, Inc.
	DE-FE0007634
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Combined Pressure, Temperature Contrast, and Surface-Enhanced Separation of Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) for Post-Combustion Carbon Capture NEW!	Rice University
	DE-FE0007531
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Low-Pressure Membrane Contactors for CO₂ Capture NEW!	Membrane Technology and Research, Inc.
	DE-FE0007553
	Laboratory/ bench scale
Hybrid Membrane/Absorption Process for Post-Combustion CO₂ Capture	Gas Technology Institute
	DE-FE0004787
	Laboratory scale
Slipstream Testing of a Membrane CO₂ Capture Process for Existing Coal-Fired Power Plant	Membrane Technology & Research Inc.
	DE-FE0005795
	Pilot (1 MW) scale
CO₂ Capture by Sub-Ambient Membrane Operation	American Air Liquide, Inc.
	DE-FE0004278
	Laboratory scale
Membrane Process to Capture CO₂ from Power Plant Flue Gas	Membrane Technology & Research, Inc.
	DE-NT0005312
	Laboratory scale
*Completed Membrane Projects*
CO₂ Capture Membrane Process for Power Plant Flue Gas	RTI International
	DE-NT0005313
	Laboratory scale
Novel Dual Functional Membrane for Controlling Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Fossil Fueled Power Plants	University of New Mexico
	FG26-04NT42120
	Laboratory scale
Membrane Process to Sequester CO₂ from Power Plant Flue Gas	Membrane Technology & Research, Inc.
	FC26-07NT43085
	Laboratory scale
Development of Biomimetric Membrane for Near Zero PC Power Plant Emissions	Carbozyme, Inc.
	FC26-07NT43084
	Laboratory scale
Biomimetric Membrane for CO₂ Capture from Flue Gas	Carbozyme, Inc
	FG26-06NT42824
	Laboratory scale
Carbon Dioxide Capture from Large Point Sources	Compact Membrane Systems, Inc.
	FG02-04ER83925 SBIR
	Laboratory scale