Polyvinylamine-Based Facilitated Transport Membranes for Post-Combustion CO2 Capture: Challenges and Perspectives from Materials to Processes

Carbon dioxide (CO2) capture by gas-separation membranes has become increasingly attractive due to its high energy efficiency, relatively low cost, and environmental impact. Polyvinylamine (PVAm)-based facilitated transport (FT) membranes were developed in the last decade for CO2 capture. This work discusses the challenges of applying PVAm-based FT membranes from materials to processes for post-combustion CO2 capture in power plants and cement factories. Experiences learned from a pilot demonstration system can be used to guide the design of other membranes for CO2 capture. The importance of module and process design is emphasized in the achievement of a high-performance membrane system. Moreover, the results from process simulation and cost estimation indicate that a three-stage membrane system is feasible for achieving a high CO2 purity of 95 vol%. The specific CO2 capture cost was found to significantly depend on the required CO2 capture ratio, and a moderate CO2 capture ratio of 50% presented a cost of 63.7 USD per tonne CO2 captured. Thus, FT membrane systems were found to be more competitive for partial CO2 capture.