(127e) Integrated Process of CO2 Capture and Conversion to Alkyl Carbonates
AIChE Annual Meeting
2019
2019 AIChE Annual Meeting
Topical Conference: Advances in Fossil Energy R&D
CO2 Use and Reuse
Monday, November 11, 2019 - 1:54pm to 2:15pm
Integrating the process of CO2 capture and conversion to DMC should significantly enhance both the economics as well as energy efficiency when compared to separate processes for CO2 capture followed by conversion. The direct reaction of CO2 with methanol for synthesis of DMC is thermodynamically difficult, requiring innovative catalyst development. Therefore, E3Tec is actively pursuing two separate integrated processes based on chemical carriers for CO2 utilization to manufacture high-value DMC; one with the SBIR Phase II (DE-SC0013233) and the other one with an ERA, Alberta grant. The two DMC processes are based on two alternate chemical pathways 1) using ammonia as a carrier while consuming CO2 and methanol feeds; and 2) using CO2, methanol and ethylene oxide (EtO) as feeds to co-produce DMC and mono-ethylene glycol (MEG).
E3Tec is now pursuing integration of the DMC process with this new generation of CO2 capture technologies, i.e., membrane separations; solid adsorbents; non-aqueous solvents; a new generation of amine solvents; and hybrid processes. The technology challenges and opportunities of integrating the DMC process with the new generation of CO2 capture technologies are discussed with the focus on different membrane separations and solid adsorbents. The ASPEN Plus® analysis of the integrated process is based on prototype testing of the DMC process and reported performance of the CO2 capture processes.