Influence of the calcination and carbonation conditions on the CO₂ uptake of synthetic Ca-based CO₂ sorbents.

In this work we report the development of a Ca-based, Al(2)O(3)-stabilized sorbent using a sol-gel technique. The CO(2) uptake of the synthetic materials as a function of carbonation and calcination temperature and CO(2) partial pressure was critically assessed. In addition, performing the carbonation and calcination reactions in a gas-fluidized bed allowed the attrition characteristics of the new material to be investigated. After 30 cycles of calcination and carbonation conducted in a fluidized bed, the CO(2) uptake of the best sorbent was 0.31 g CO(2)/g sorbent, which is 60% higher than that measured for Rheinkalk limestone. A detailed characterization of the morphology of the sol-gel derived material confirmed that the nanostructure of the synthetic material is responsible for its high, cyclic CO(2) uptake. The sol-gel method ensured that Ca(2+) and Al(3+) were homogenously mixed (mostly in the form of the mixed oxide mayenite). The formation of a finely and homogeneously dispersed, high Tammann temperature support stabilized the nanostructured morphology over multiple reaction cycles, whereas limestone lost its initial nanostructured morphology rapidly due to its intrinsic lack of a support component.