Enhanced Initial CO2 Capture Performance of a Novel AMP–DA2MP–MEA Tri-Solvent Amine Blend for Post-Combustion Carbon Capture

This study investigated the initial CO2 absorption efficiency, initial average overall absorption mass transfer coefficient, absorption heat, heat of vaporization, density, and viscosity of the novel aqueous AMP–1,5-diamino-2-methylpentane (DA2MP)–MEA tri-solvent amine blend solution using a bench-scale absorption column process plant. The concentration of AMP was kept constant at 2 mol·L−1, while the DA2MP concentration ranged from 1 to 2 mol·L−1 and MEA concentration from 2 to 3 mol·L−1, while the total tri-solvent amine blend concentration was kept at 6 mol·L−1. Results showed that the AMP–DA2MP–MEA blend possessed some of the lowest densities but higher viscosities than the other studied amine systems. Results revealed that the AMP–DA2MP–MEA blend has a lower absorber column height (18% to 58%) to achieve initial 90% CO2 absorption efficiency compared to other investigated amine solutions. Notably, the AMP–DA2MP–MEA blends achieved the greatest reduction in absorber height (41–58%) relative to the benchmark MEA solution. The AMP–DA2MP–MEA blend also possesses a higher initial absorber mass transfer coefficient compared with the benchmark MEA solution (65.9% to 118.9%), the AMP–DA2MP blend (6.6% to 40.6%), and the AMP–PZ–MEA blend (44.8% to 91%). The AMP–DA2MP–MEA blend has higher heat of vaporization (up to 9.8%) and absorption heat (up to 28.8%) compared with the other amine systems. These findings indicate that the AMP–DA2MP–MEA tri-solvent blend is a strong candidate for advanced CO2 capture applications and requires further investigation.