Post-combustion CO₂ capture via a variety of temperature ranges and material adsorption process: A review

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from fossil fuel combustion have been linked to increased average global temperatures, a global challenge for many decades. Mitigating CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere is a priority for the protection of the environment. This is a comparison of the three main technological categories available for CO₂ capture and storage. They include: oxy-fuel combustion, pre-combustion, and post-combustion. Each capture technology has inherent benefits and disadvantages in cost, implementation, and flexibility, but post-combustion CO₂ capture has demonstrated the most promising results in typical power plant configurations. This paper presents a review of different post-combustion CO₂ capture materials; solvents, membranes, and adsorbents, focusing on economical and environmentally safe low to high temperature solid adsorbents. Furthermore, the authors summarize the advantages and limitations of the materials investigated to provide insight into the challenges and opportunities currently facing the development of post-combustion CO₂ capture technologies. The solid sorbents currently available for CO₂ capture are also reviewed in detail, including physical and chemical properties, reactions, and current research efforts on improvement.