Simulated Moving Bed Process for CO₂ Capture from Humid Postcombustion Flue Gases Using MUF-16

Simulated moving bed (SMB) designs are increasingly being adapted for the separation of multicomponent gaseous mixtures. In this work, we develop a modified SMB process for capturing CO₂ from humid postcombustion flue gas using MUF-16 (MUF = Massey University Framework). MUF-16 shows excellent selectivity for CO₂ over N₂, moderate heats of adsorption for CO₂ and H₂O, and no competitive sorption of CO₂ over water at relative humidities relevant to postcombustion capture. We utilize these characteristics to propose a continuous process that uses N₂ from the feed as the desorbent for the water, eliminating the need for a separate desiccant bed and allowing for localized heating during desorption for H₂O-saturated MOF beds. Single-component isotherms, single-column breakthrough experiments, and SO₂ stability tests suggest the excellent suitability of MUF-16 to this separation via the proposed SMB design.