• Clean Technology
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.255-260
• /
• 2021

A drawback in the CO₂ capture process using an aqueous amine solution is the high energy requirement for the regeneration process. In order to overcome this disadvantage, this study investigated CO₂ capture characteristics using a biphasic absorbent in which isopropanol (IPA) was introduced into an aqueous solution of diethylenetriamine (DETA). When the IPA composition exceeded 20 wt% in 20 wt% DETA aqueous solution, the absorbent phase was liquid-liquid separated into a CO₂-rich phase and a CO₂-lean phase because of the low solubility of the salt formed by the reaction of CO₂ with DETA in isopropanol. When the isopropanol composition in the DETA aqueous solution increased, the phase volume ratio of the CO₂-rich phase to the volume of the CO₂-lean phase increased; and, accordingly, the CO₂ in the CO₂-rich phase was more concentrated. The results of absorbing CO₂ in a packed tower using 20 wt% DETA + IPA + water absorbent confirmed that both the CO₂ absorption capacity and the absorption rate were higher than that of the 20 wt% DETA aqueous solution. When a biphasic absorbent composed of DETA + IPA + water is applied to CO₂ capture, it can be expected to concentrate CO₂ because of phase separation and thereby reduce regeneration energy owing to volume reduction of the CO₂-rich phase.