Carbon capture via electrochemically mediated alkaline absorption: Lab-scale continuous operation

Energy-efficient capture technologies need to be deployed by 2050 to abate global warming caused by excessive carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. CO2 capture using alkaline solutions and absorbent regeneration mediated through bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BMED) have been tested previously as a standalone technology. However, the continuous operation of an integrated system remains largely unclear. Here, a bench-scale study was conducted using an integrated prototype to analyze the performance of CO2 capture and electrochemical regeneration using potassium hydroxide (KOH) aqueous solution. A wide range of current densities from 150 to 1000 A/m2 was applied to demonstrate the continuous operation of the CO2 capture system emphasizing the stability in attainable high rich carbon loading and CO2 desorption. The electrochemical regeneration module achieved CO2 desorption efficiency of 70% and absorbent recovery up to 89% under industrial relevant current densities of 500–1000 A/m2. The absorbent recovery has been identified to be a result of the combined effect of load ratio and rich carbon loading. The observed inefficient CO2 separation indicates significant potential to enhance energy efficiency. These results represent a pivotal step forward in electrochemically mediated CO2 capture technology, with promising potential for rapid industrial scale-up in the near future.