Evaluating CO₂ Capture in Aqueous Amine Solution by Using a New Microbubble System

The present study evaluated two systems, one of the CO₂ jets and another of microbubbles, for CO₂ capture by aqueous amine solutions, comparing the performance of monoethanolamine (MEA) and triethanolamine (tertiary amine (TEA)). The capture efficiency was calculated through the mass variation measurements. The results revealed that the CO₂ jet system did not achieve satisfactory results. However, using the microbubble system, MEA exhibited the highest efficiency, surpassing the stoichiometric value (0.5 mol of CO₂/mol of amine), and TEA was close to its theoretical limit. The presence of water was able to enhance CO₂ absorption in this system with an optimal amine-to-water ratio identified for both solvents. In addition, mathematical modeling was carried out to determine the reaction kinetics and mass transfer constant for the microbubble system and demonstrated strong agreement with experimental data. Conductor-like screening model for real solvents was applied to predict thermodynamic properties and validate the results found in the other analysis. The new microbubble system considerably improved CO₂ capture efficiency, decreased reaction time, and enhanced mass transfer, offering a promising alternative for large-scale carbon capture applications.