Post-combustion capture is used to capture carbon dioxide released by burning hydrocarbons. The process involves passing the fumes through a capture unit with a solvent that absorbs the excess carbon. The method has been used since the 1940s and is popular due to its simplicity, but has high operating costs and is best suited for small to medium operations.
Many businesses, especially power plants and industries that use petrochemicals, produce a large amount of carbon dioxide from the combustion of hydrocarbons, and that carbon dioxide must be captured in a process called post-combustion capture so it doesn’t affect the environment. The most common method for post-combustion capture is to pass the carbon through a solvent that absorbs the excess carbon. The capture unit itself is relatively simple. This process is one of the most popular for capturing carbon and has been used since the 1940s, in part because it can suit most industries. The problem with using this process is that it has high operating costs and plants use 10 to 30 percent more energy just to capture carbon.
When a company burns petrochemicals, carbon dioxide is released in large quantities. To reduce the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere, post-combustion capture is used. The fumes are passed through a capture unit, which combines the carbon gas with a solvent. Amino or nitrogen-based solvents are commonly used. The amine solvent absorbs and captures the carbon from the flue gas, so the carbon can be transported and stored later.
The afterburner catcher unit is quite simple and usually integrates with the combustion chamber itself. Air and hydrocarbons are pumped into an area where, at high temperatures, they burn and create energy. The offgas is pumped into an amine tower, where it is instantaneously mixed with nitrogen and pushed underneath for storage.
Post-burn capture has been used since the 1940s and part of the reason it is so popular is that scientists and industrial workers have a lot of experience using this system. Another reason is that the trapping unit can easily be retrofitted or added to an existing installation. The capture unit is so simple and well known that repairs are easier than with other systems.
While afterburner capture is popular, there are some downsides to using this system. There are high operating costs because the business will need to purchase a constant flow of amine solvent to keep the capture unit running. Capture units are also best for small to medium operations; large-scale operations are usually beyond the scope of this unit. Plants also have to use 10 to 30 percent more energy, depending on the solvent used, to capture carbon; these costs are usually charged to the company’s customers.
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