(569c) Life Cycle Assessment of Adsorption-Based Direct Air Capture Systems Via Mathematical Modeling

As the urgency for scalable carbon removal grows, adsorption-based direct air capture (DAC) has emerged as a promising pathway due to its modularity and energy efficiency. While process performance has been widely studied, the environmental footprint across the full life cycle remains underexplored—especially in geographically sensitive deployments. Given that the DAC systems are significantly affected by site-specific factors such as temperature, humidity, and energy mix, a location-resolved life cycle assessment becomes critical. Furthermore, evaluating Scope 3 emissions—including those from supply chains, transportation, and end-of-life processes—provides a more comprehensive understanding of sustainability.

In this work, we employ a mathematical modeling approach to evaluate the environmental implications of DAC under varying climate conditions. Unlike conventional inventory-based LCAs, our model incorporates sorbent isotherm behavior and adaptive operational strategies that respond to local environmental variability. Two benchmark sorbent materials were selected, and their isotherms were modeled using experimental data. Leveraging these models, we conducted case studies on representative Korean climate sites to assess site-specific impacts. Using mass and energy balances derived from physico-chemical adsorption principles, we quantified key life cycle metrics under realistic operating scenarios. Our results highlight sensitivity parameters that drive environmental trade-offs and influence techno-economic viability. This study demonstrates how physics-informed mathematical modeling can enhance the resolution and reliability of environmental assessments for next-generation DAC technologies.