CO₂ absorption intensification using three-dimensional printed dynamic polarity packing in a bench-scale integrated CO₂ capture system

Postcombustion carbon capture using a chemical absorbent is a promising technology to reduce CO₂ emission. However, the overall construction and operating costs remain a major challenge. In order to intensify the absorption process and to reduce these costs, a novel dynamic polarity structured packing (DP packing) with alternate patterns of surface polarity has been developed to enhance local macro-scale turbulence within the advanced viscous solvent to reduce the mass transfer diffusion resistance. Three DP structured packings that incorporate multiple polymeric materials were fabricated using three-dimensional printing technique and evaluated through parametric testing using a bench-scale integrated CO₂ capture unit with 76.2 mm ID absorber. At optimized operating conditions, the DP packing showed a relative 22.7% increase in absorption and 20.0% decrease in energy penalty.