Southern Research offers a comprehensive range of services to clients interested in developing and demonstrating their own solvents for post-combustion CO₂ capture. In addition, we provide cost-effective screening of solvents based on our extensive experience and expertise.

To develop and demonstrate an effective solvent for post-combustion CO₂ capture, it is not enough to show high collection efficiency, rapid reaction, and good CO₂ capacity. The ideal solvent must also be thermally and chemically stable, noncorrosive, and nontoxic. In addition, the energy required to regenerate the solvent should be as low as possible, and it should also be possible to regenerate the solvent under pressure. The latter requirement is important to minimize the compression requirements for sequestration of the CO₂.

Advanced Capabilities

Southern Research provides on-site technical support in post-combustion CO₂ capture for the ongoing research efforts of Southern Company and the Department of Energy at the Post-Combustion Carbon Capture Center (PC4) located at Plant Gaston in Wilsonville, AL. This work has enabled us to develop significant expertise related to post-combustion CO₂ capture, including:

• Isokinetic sampling and measurements of gas species and droplets required to assess carryover of amine and other materials present in the flue gas and CO₂ off-gas
• Measurements of gas flows and liquid flows at critical locations as quality-control checks on the real-time, in-duct gas flow measurements and the Coriolis flow meters used with rich and lean solvent flows
• Periodic checks on the solvent CO₂ analysis using special laboratory methods developed by Southern Research at the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC)
• Analysis of samples from the PC4 slipstream units to aid in optimizing solvent performance and diagnosing operational problems, such as issues with solvent contamination, degradation, and corrosion
• Development and application of various analytical techniques to determine the carbon and sulfur species formed during absorption and thermal regeneration of CO₂ capture solvents under pressure