2024 AIChE Annual Meeting
(430f) Effect of Zeolite on Hydrothermal Carbonization of Loblolly Pine and Its Impact on Carbon Capture
In recent times, the release of CO2 has become a contentious topic due to its link to global warming and other natural calamities. The idea of producing an environmentally friendly adsorbent for enhanced carbon capture by introducing high porosity and functionalities through incorporating catalytic impact of zeolite from loblolly pine (LP) was explored in this study. The research work aims to perform a systematic hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of LP at different operational temperatures varying from 200°C to 260°C using 0 to 10 wt.% of zeolites. The produced hydrochars after HTC were further superactivated using KOH in a ratio of 2:1 at 700°C to 900°C to synthesize ultraporous superactivated zeolite composites (SAZs). The SAZs were evaluated for their elemental composition, surface functionalities, thermogravimetric behavior, BET surface area, and scanning electron microscopy morphology to understand the catalytic effect of zeolites during HTC. The catalytic effect of zeolite has improved the carbonization and resulted in thermally stable SAZs. Compared to control runs without any zeolite, the SAZs showed less aromatic and thermally stable carbon but higher surface area and pore volume. The ultraporous superactivated zeolite composites. The enhanced CO2 capture efficiency was a result of the influence of increased surface porosity, which improved the physical adsorption mechanisms.