Chinomso Roselyn Odimba

CO2 Capture with Physical Solvents

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has emerged as one of the most promising technologies for reducing anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from industrial processes and fossil fuel-based power generation. Among the available separation technologies, physical solvent absorption has gained considerable attention for treating high-pressure gas streams due to its lower energy consumption compared with chemical absorption. Physical solvents such as Rectisol, Selexol, and Fluor processes absorb CO₂ primarily through physical dissolution, making them particularly suitable for integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC), natural gas sweetening, hydrogen production, and other pre-combustion carbon capture applications. The performance of these solvents is strongly influenced by operating pressure, temperature, solvent composition, and the thermodynamic behaviour of CO₂–solvent systems. The research focuses on the principles, advantages, and limitations of major physical solvent processes for CO₂ capture, with emphasis on phase equilibrium, vapour–liquid equilibrium (VLE), solubility behaviour, and thermodynamic modelling.