Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

The International Test Centre for CO2 Capture (ITC) at the University of Regina conducts research to develop technology that can capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from industrial sources economically. Since CO2 is a greenhouse gas, this is an important global issue that needs further research. Traditionally CO2 is absorbed from flues gas using packed columns. These columns tend to be very large and expensive to operate. Recently, membrane contactors have emerged as a promising technology. Research at the ITC has shown that membrane contactors can perform better than packed columns. Therefore, we feel that this relatively new technology has the potential to make a significant contribution in the area of gas treating. Smaller, more efficient membrane contactors could one day replace the large and expensive packed columns that are currently used in industry. In order for membrane contactors to be successful, research is needed to address membrane stability. Membranes are currently wetted by conventional absorption solvents, leading to a loss in performance. This research program is focused on three parts in an effort to develop affordable membrane systems that resist wetting. In Part 1 we are manufacturing hollow fibre membranes that possess desirable characteristics. In Part 2 we are developing new designs for membrane absorbers and membrane regenerators to optimize performance. In Part 3 we are going to test the performance of the membranes we have developed in membrane absorbers and regenerators in an effort to assess the overall performance of the system. Results will be compared to existing packed column technology and membrane contactors developed by other research groups. The long-term goal of this work is to develop a pilot-plant scale membrane-based system that can be used in industrial applications for CO2 capture.