Susana Garcia

Predicting Mixed-Gas Adsorption Equilibria on Activated Carbon for Precombustion CO2 Capture

We present experimentally measured adsorption isotherms of CO2, H2, and N2 on a phenol-formaldehyde resin-based activated carbon, which had been previously synthesized for the separation of CO2 in a precombustion capture process. The single component adsorption isotherms were measured in a magnetic suspension balance at three different temperatures (298, 318, and 338 K) and over a large range of pressures (from 0 to 3000-4000 kPa). These values cover the temperature and pressure conditions likely to be found in a precombustion capture scenario, where CO2 needs to be separated from a CO2/H2/N2 gas stream at high pressure (~1000-1500 kPa) and with a high CO2 concentration (~20-40 vol %). Data on the pure component isotherms were correlated using the Langmuir, Sips, and dual-site Langmuir (DSL) models, i.e., a two-, three-, and four-parameter model, respectively. By using the pure component isotherm fitting parameters, adsorption equilibrium was then predicted for multicomponent gas mixtures by the extended models. The DSL model was formulated considering the energetic site-matching concept, recently addressed in the literature. Experimental gas-mixture adsorption equilibrium data were calculated from breakthrough experiments conducted in a lab-scale fixed-bed reactor and compared with the predictions from the models. Breakthrough experiments were carried out at a temperature of 318 K and five different pressures (300, 500, 1000, 1500, and 2000 kPa) where two different CO2/H2/N2 gas mixtures were used as the feed gas in the adsorption step. The DSL model was found to be the one that most accurately predicted the CO2 adsorption equilibrium in the multicomponent mixture. The results presented in this work highlight the importance of performing experimental measurements of mixture adsorption equilibria, as they are of utmost importance to discriminate between models and to correctly select the one that most closely reflects the actual process.

A copper-responsive transcription factor, CRF1, mediates copper and cadmium resistance in Yarrowia lipolytica.

The dimorphic yeast Yarrowia lipolytica is more resistant to high copper concentrations thanSaccharomyces cerevisiae. This differential tolerance to copper ions has been observed in several strains arising from non-related isolates. To investigate the molecular basis of this resistance, we obtained several copper-sensitive mutants. By complementation of one of them, we isolated the YlCRF1 gene encoding for a copper-binding transcription factor of 411 amino acids homologous to ScAce1p, CgAmt1p, and ScMac1p. Naturally occurring copper-sensitive strains lack the CRF1 allele. TheYlCRF1 transcript is not induced by the addition of copper to the medium. Gene disruption demonstrated thatYlCRF1 is responsible for a 4- to 5-fold increase in Y. lipolytica copper tolerance. We further show that strain Δcrf1 is more sensitive to cadmium but not to other metals. The role of YlCrf1p as a copper-sensitive transcription factor is supported by the finding that the protein is immunolocalized in the nucleus during growth in copper-supplemented but not in copper-free medium. However, in contrast to the S. cerevisiae strain mutated in the metallothionein transcription activator ACE1, Y. lipolytica strain Δcrf1 is still able to increase metallothionein (MTP) mRNA levels in response to copper addition.CRF1 deletion does not affect superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity either. Our data suggest the existence of one or more different target genes for Crf1p, other than MTP orSOD1, and support its role as a novel copper-responsive transcription factor involved in metal detoxification.

Hydrogen production from food wastes and gas post-treatment by CO2 adsorption.

The production of H(2) by biological means, although still far from being a commercially viable proposition, offers great promise for the future. Purification of the biogas obtained may lead to the production of highly concentrated H(2) streams appropriate for industrial application. This research work evaluates the dark fermentation of food wastes and assesses the possibility of adsorbing CO(2) from the gas stream by means of a low cost biomass-based adsorbent. The reactor used was a completely stirred tank reactor run at different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) while the concentration of solids of the feeding stream was kept constant. The results obtained demonstrate that the H(2) yields from the fermentation of food wastes were affected by modifications in the hydraulic retention time (HRT) due to incomplete hydrolysis. The decrease in the duration of fermentation had a negative effect on the conversion of the substrate into soluble products. This resulted in a lower amount of soluble substrate being available for metabolisation by H(2) producing microflora leading to a reduction in specific H(2) production. Adsorption of CO(2) from a gas stream generated from the dark fermentation process was successfully carried out. The data obtained demonstrate that the column filled with biomass-derived activated carbon resulted in a high degree of hydrogen purification. Co-adsorption of H(2)S onto the activated carbon also took place, there being no evidence of H(2)S present in the bio-H(2) exiting the column. Nevertheless, the concentration of H(2)S was very low, and this co-adsorption did not affect the CO(2) capture capacity of the activated carbon.

The influence of the precursor and synthesis method on the CO2 capture capacity of carpet waste-based sorbents

Adsorption is one of the most promising technologies for reducing CO(2) emissions and at present several different types of sorbents are being investigated. The use of sorbents obtained from low-cost and abundant precursors (i.e. solid wastes) appears an attractive strategy to adopt because it will contribute to a reduction not only in operational costs but also in the amount of waste that is dumped and burned in landfills every year. Following on from previous studies by the authors, in this work several carbon-based adsorbents were developed from different carpet wastes (pre-consumer and post-consumer wastes) by chemical activation with KOH at various activation temperatures (600-900 °C) and KOH:char impregnation ratios (0.5:1 to 4:1). The prepared materials were characterised by chemical analysis and gas adsorption (N(2), -196 °C; CO(2), 0 °C), and tested for CO(2) adsorption at temperatures of 25 and 100 °C. It was found that both the type of precursor and the conditions of activation (i.e. impregnation ratios, and activation temperatures), had a huge influence on the microporosity of the resultant samples and their CO(2) capture capacities. The carbon-based adsorbent that presented the maximum CO(2) capture capacities at 25 and 100 °C (13.8 wt.% and 3.1 wt.%, respectively), was prepared from a pre-consumer carpet waste and was activated at 700 °C using a KOH:char impregnation ratio of 1:1. This sample showed the highest narrow microporosity volume (0.47 cm(3) g(-1)), thus confirming that only pores of less than 1 nm are effective for CO(2) adsorption at atmospheric pressure.

Influence of the operation conditions on CO2 capture by CaO-derived sorbents prepared from synthetic CaCO3

In this work, a statistical experimental design is performed in order to prepare CaCO3 materials for use as CaO-based CO2 sorbent precursors. The influence of different operational parameters such as synthesis temperature (ST), stirring rate (SR) and surfactant percent (SP) on CO2 capture is studied by applying Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The samples were characterized using different analytical techniques including X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption isotherm analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy-X-ray Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). CO2 capture capacity was determined by means of a thermogravimetric analyzer which recorded the mass uptake of the samples when these were exposed to a gas stream containing diluted (15%) CO2. The statistical approach used in this work provides a rapid way of predicting and optimizing the main preparation variables of CaO-derived sorbents for CO2 sorption. The results obtained clearly indicate that four parameters statistically influence CO2 uptake: SR, the square of SR, its interaction with SP and the square of SP.