A critical review in recent progress of hollow fiber membrane contactors for efficient CO2 separations

Aniqa Imtiaz; Mohd Hafiz Dzarfan Othman; Asim Jilani; Imran Ullah Khan; Roziana Kamaludin; Muhammad Ayub; Ojo Samuel; Tonni Agustiono Kurniawan; NurAwanis Hashim; Mohd Hafiz Puteh

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138300

A critical review in recent progress of hollow fiber membrane contactors for efficient CO₂ separations

Chemosphere. 2023 Jun:325:138300. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138300. Epub 2023 Mar 7.

Affiliations

¹ Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia; Facultyof Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia.
² Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia; Facultyof Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia. Electronic address: hafiz@petroleum.utm.my.
³ Centre of Nanotechnology, King Abdul-Aziz University, 21589, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: ajilani@kau.edu.sa.
⁴ Department of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Pak-Austria Fachhochshule, Institute of Applied Sciences &Technology, Khanpur Road, Mang, Haripur, 22650, Pakistan.
⁵ College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, PR China.
⁶ Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
⁷ Faculty of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, UTM Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia.

PMID: 36893870
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138300

Abstract

Among wide range of membrane-based operations, membrane contactors, as they reify comparatively modern membrane-based mechanism are gaining quite an attention in both pilot and industrial scales. In recent literature, carbon capture is one of the most researched applications of membrane contactors. Membrane contactors have the potential to minimize the energy consumption and capital cost of traditional CO₂ absorptions columns. In a membrane contactor, CO₂ regeneration can take place below the solvent boiling point, resulting into lower consumption of energy. Various polymeric as well as ceramic membrane materials have been employed in gas liquid membrane contactors along with several solvents including amino acids, ammonia, amines etc. This review article provides detailed introduction of membrane contactors in terms of CO₂ removal. It also discusses that the main challenge that is faced by membrane contactors is membrane pore wetting caused by solvent that in turn can reduce the mass transfer coefficient. Other potential challenges such as selection of suitable solvent and membrane pair as well as fouling are also discussed in this review and are followed by potential ways to reduce them. Furthermore, both membrane gas separation and membrane contactor technologies are analysed and compared in this study on the basis of their characteristics, CO₂ separation performances and techno economical transvaluation. Consequently, this review provides an opportunity to thoroughly understand the working principle of membrane contactors along its comparison with membrane-based gas separation technology. It also provides a clear understanding of latest innovations in membrane contactor module designs as well as challenges encountered by membrane contactors along with possible solutions to overcome these challenges. Finally, semi commercial and commercial implementation of membrane contactors has been highlighted.

Keywords: Carbon dioxide capture; Gas separation; Hollow fiber; Membrane contactor.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Amines
Ammonia
Carbon Dioxide* / chemistry
Membranes, Artificial*
Solvents / chemistry

Substances

Carbon Dioxide
Membranes, Artificial
Ammonia
Amines
Solvents