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Updated: Jun 6, 2025

Author Spotlight: Standardizing the Development of Amine-Based Silica Composites as CO2 Adsorbents for Direct Air Capture
Published on: September 29, 2023
An Instructive CO2 Adsorption Model for DAC: Wave Solutions and Optimal Processes
Emily Kay-Leighton1, Henning Struchtrup1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada.
Abstract:
We present and investigate a simple yet instructive model for the adsorption of CO2 from air in porous media as used in direct air capture (DAC) processes. Mathematical analysis and non-dimensionalization reveal that the sorbent is characterized by the sorption timescale and capacity, while the adsorption process is effectively wavelike. The systematic evaluation shows that the overall adsorption rate and the recommended charging duration depend only on the wave parameter that is found as the ratio of capacity and dimensionless air flow velocity. Specifically, smaller wave parameters yield a larger overall charging rate, while larger wave parameters reduce the work required to move air through the sorbent. Thus, optimal process conditions must compromise between a large overall adsorption rate and low work requirements.
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