Understanding Material Compatibility in CO₂ Capture Systems Using Molten Alkali Metal Borates

Molten alkali metal borates have been proposed as energy-efficient sorbents for the low-cost capture of CO₂ at high temperatures. The molten sorbents could help to mitigate global warming by capturing CO₂ from industrial sources and preventing the release of CO₂ into the atmosphere. However, these novel materials operate under harsh conditions, introducing challenges of which material compatibility is one of the most important. Other than platinum, where a less than 0.1% change in performance was observed over 1000 h of continuous use, few materials were found to be compatible with the molten salts. Common ceramics, steels, and superalloys were eliminated from consideration due to corrosive oxidation of the substrate and contamination of the melt resulting in chemical degradation and reduction in the sorbent's working capacity. A high-purity nickel alloy, Nickel 200/201, with a protective oxide layer was found to perform optimally with regards to both corrosive degradation and chemical degradation. Modest corrosion rates on the order of 0.3-0.5 mm/year were estimated, and the sorbent capacity was found to drop by between a manageable 0.5 and 20% over 100 h. Various protective measures are proposed, and future work suggested, to ensure that material compatibility does not limit the potential of molten alkali metal borates to reduce CO₂ emissions and contribute to a clean energy future.