CO2 capture performance of self-activated Ca/Cu composites prepared by solution combustion synthesis

Solution combustion synthesis was firstly adopted to prepared Ca/Cu composites for low-cost carbon capture. The synthesis conditons such as background temperature of combustion and calcination time were investigated on a thermogravimetric analyzer to test their effects on the performance and cyclic stability of the sorbents. Microstructure of the sorbent was further analyzed by SEM and nitrogen sorption. It was demonstrated that carbonation of Ca/Cu composites, calcinated at background temperature of 800℃ for 0.5h with molar ratio of Ca: Cu=1: 1 after 15 cycles, reached 51.2%, 44.9%, higher than that of pure CaO. The as-synthesized sorbents possessed a clear self-activation capacity through the 15 cycle tests, exhibiting enhanced carbonation performance with the increase of cycles. Meanwhile, the ability of oxygen-carrying kept stable, with the oxidation rate higher than 90%. Microstructure characterization indicated that there was no severe sintering or decline in BET specific area for Ca/Cu composites after 15 cycles. The results provide valuable data for further study of Ca/Cu composites by solution combustion synthesis. © 2018, Chemical Industry Press. All right reserved.