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Updated: Jul 9, 2026

A Synthetic Methodology for Preparing Impregnated and Grafted Amine-Based Silica Composites for Carbon Capture
Published on: September 29, 2023
Sorbents for CO2 capture from high carbon fly ashes.
M Mercedes Maroto-Valer1, Zhe Lu, Yinzhi Zhang
1School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom. Mercedes.maroto-valer@nottingham.ac.uk
Activated fly ash carbons show enhanced CO2 capture. Steam activation significantly increased surface area, leading to higher adsorption capacities for amine-impregnated materials compared to unactivated fly ash carbons.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Environmental Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- High-unburned-carbon fly ashes (fly ash carbons) pose disposal challenges for the utility industry.
- Previous research on amine-enriched fly ash carbons for CO2 capture showed limited performance due to low surface area.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop activated fly ash derived sorbents for improved CO2 capture.
- To investigate the effect of steam activation and amine impregnation on CO2 adsorption properties.
Main Methods:
- Steam activation of fly ash carbons at 850°C to increase surface area.
- Impregnation of activated samples with various amine compounds.
- Testing CO2 adsorption capacity at different temperatures (30°C and 70°C).
Main Results:
- Steam activation significantly increased surface area to 1075 m²/g.
- Amine impregnation decreased surface area, indicating pore blocking.
- Activated, amine-impregnated samples exhibited higher CO2 adsorption capacities (68.6 mg CO2/g) than unactivated ones (45 mg CO2/g).
Conclusions:
- Steam activation is crucial for enhancing the CO2 capture performance of fly ash derived sorbents.
- The improved adsorption is attributed to a combination of physical adsorption of the activated carbon and chemical adsorption by loaded amine groups.
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