Open Access

ARTICLE

Application of Amine-Functionalized Cellulose Foam for CO2 Capture and Storage in the Brewing Industry

by

1 Neue Materialien Bayreuth GmbH, Gottlieb-Keim-Straße 60, 95448 Bayreuth, Germany
2 Chair for Environmentally Friendly Production Technology, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany

*Corresponding author:

Journal of Renewable Materials 2018, 6(3), 219-225. https://doi.org/10.7569/JRM.2017.634161

Abstract

Due to a lack of technology, smaller breweries simply dump excess CO2 into the atmosphere, fueling the greenhouse effect and global warming. State-of-the-art CO2 capture technologies using nanofibrillated cellulose are expensive and require laborious freeze-drying. Consequently, there is a high demand for affordable alternatives in order to reduce the environmental impact in this industry sector. This work describes a novel route for a quick and cost-efficient synthesis of amine-functionalized cellulose pellets by a surfactant-assisted steam explosion process. Typical values with this method were porosity of 92% and density of 67 g/cm³. Investigations on polyethylenimine (PEI) content and distribution revealed a maximum PEI concentration of 20 wt% with decreasing concentration to the core of a pellet. Sufficient stability against brewery exhaust gas was determined and CO2 release at ~ 120 °C could be confirmed. Capacity tests under simulated working conditions with a novel laboratory reactor yielded a CO2 capacity of 1.0 mmol/g or 67 mol/m³, which is comparable to values known from the literature for other cellulose-based adsorbents.

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