A novel 3-dimethylaminopropylamine + N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone low-energy water-lean solvent for onboard CO2 capture : Performance, properties, and capture mechanism

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Zhu, Yunlong and Xi, Hongyuan and Zhou, Song and Wang, Zhen and Zhou, Weijian and Zhou, Peilin and Wang, Haibin (2026) A novel 3-dimethylaminopropylamine + N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone low-energy water-lean solvent for onboard CO2 capture : Performance, properties, and capture mechanism. Separation and Purification Technology, 385. 136442. ISSN 1383-5866 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2025.136442)

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Abstract

CO2 emission regulations in the maritime shipping industry have recently gained prominence following the MEPC 83 meeting. To address the challenges of high regeneration energy consumption, insufficient CO2 cyclic capacity, and excessive viscosity of emerging absorbents that currently hinder the application of onboard carbon capture (OCC) systems, a novel water-lean solvent (WLS) was identified from ten combinations of five polyamines and two organic solvents. Experimental results demonstrated that the 3-dimethylaminopropylamine + N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone + H2O (MNH) solvent displayed superior CO2 capture performance compared to conventional solvents. The desorption energy was reduced by 54.12 % relative to monoethanolamine (MEA), while CO2 cyclic loading increased by 55.20 %. The absorbent maintained significantly lower viscosity than other WLSs after the absorption process. Following desorption, the viscosity decreased to 1.355 mPa∙s, representing a 27.35 % reduction compared to MEA. Comprehensive measurements of density, viscosity, and pH were conducted for MNH WLSs under various temperatures and CO2 loading conditions. Visual analysis techniques were employed to investigate the nucleophilic and proton transfer reactive sites during the absorption process, as well as the mechanisms responsible for viscosity variation. The findings presented in this study provide theoretical guidance and empirical data support for the future deployment and optimization of OCC systems in maritime applications.

ORCID iDs

Zhu, Yunlong, Xi, Hongyuan, Zhou, Song, Wang, Zhen, Zhou, Weijian, Zhou, Peilin ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4808-8489 and Wang, Haibin ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3520-6856;
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