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At least 289 records · Page 16

CO2 Sorption in Aminopolymer-Based Direct Air Capture Composites Through Fluorescent Detection

Aminopolymer-mesoporous oxide composites are becoming widely recognized for their ability to adsorb CO2 directly from the air. However, a better fundamental understanding of the nature of these materials under different environmental operating conditions will be necessary before they become ubiquitous in industrial direct air capture (DAC) systems. For example, gas diffusion in general is coupled with polymer segmental mobility in these composites; diffusion is therefore affected by interactions of the polymer with the pore wall of the mesoporous oxide, by the relative humidity of the air, and by electrostatic crosslinks that develop as a function of CO2 sorption. Disentangling these and additional complicated effects in order to better optimize operating conditions is a major challenge for the field. Here, we present a method for quantifying the adsorption of CO2 and moisture in a polyethylenimine (PEI) - Al2O3 composite using infrared sensing while we simultaneously monitor polymer mobility with a fluorescent probe molecule doped into the composite. Both the fluorescence intensity and shape of the emission spectra are strongly dependent on the mobility of the supporting medium. We monitor the polymer mobility and CO2 adsorption kinetics across a series of different relative humidities (RH) with this technique, and we observed that the relative difference between polymer mobility and sorption kinetics from one RH to the next are quite dramatic. We interpret these results and discuss how they can be used to inform the design of more efficient DAC systems for real-world operating conditions.

carbon capture↗

Sorption Behavior of Iodine on Allophane under Acid and Alkaline Conditions - 12203

In the safety assessment of TRU geological disposal, Iodine-129 (I-129) is considered a key radionuclide. In Japan the reference buffer material within the repository is a bentonite based sand mixture, which is lacking in iodine adsorbent capacity. Additives or alternative buffer materials that can enhance iodine adsorption are desired. Allophane, a common soil material in Japan, is a potential candidate to aid in iodine retention. In order to assess the potential for improvement of buffer and backfill material to limit release of I-129, the sorption behavior of iodine (IO{sub 3}{sup -} and I{sup -}) on allophane was examined in this research. The sorption behavior of IO{sub 3}{sup -} by allophane is strong in acidic conditions, and markedly reduced in alkaline conditions. The K{sub d} values of IO{sub 3}{sup -} are approximately 0.4 m{sup 3}/kg (pH=5), 0.03 m{sup 3}/kg (pH=8), 0.011 m{sup 3}/kg (pH=9), 0.005 m{sup 3}/kg (pH=10). Conversely, the K{sub d} value of I{sup -} is as small as 0.01 m{sup 3}/kg in acidic conditions, and much smaller in alkaline conditions. The numerical analysis shows that a maximum release rate of I-129 from the engineered barrier in the geological disposal system decreased approximately one order of magnitude and the K{sub d} of the buffer increased up to 0.1 m{sup 3}/kg by applying allophane soils to engineered barriers. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Preliminary Study on Sorption Behavior of Iodine on Ca-Al-Si Hydrate - 19310

Sorption behavior of Ca-Al-Si hydrate with iodine sign ion and iodide ion was investigated using ion chromatography and Raman spectroscopy. In the experiment I-127 which is a stable isotope was used instead of I-129 which is a radionuclide. Ca-Al-Si hydrate was synthesized by mixing fumed silica (SiO{sub 2}) calcium oxide (CaO) and aluminum nitrate nonahydrate (Al(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}.9H{sub 2}O) with the solution containing iodine in a polypropylene tube. Two chemical forms of iodine, i.e., iodide ion and iodate ion, were considered in this study. In the samples of Ca-Al-Si hydrate, the Ca/Si molar ratios were adjusted in the range from 0.8 to 1.6, and the Al / Si ratios were in the range from 0.0 to 0.5. The samples liquid / solid (L/S) ratio was 20. In order to adjust the concentration to 0.5 mM for each samples, NaIO{sub 3} solution or NaI solution were added to the sample. NaClO solution was added as an oxidizing agent to maintain the form of iodate ion. The synthesis procedure for all the samples was carried out in a glove bag filled with nitrogen gas. The curing time was 1, 7, 30 days at room temperature (298 K) with shaking at 120 strokes / minute. In the results, although the iodide ion concentration in the liquid phase hardly changed, the liquid phase amount had been reduced to less than the liquid phase amount initially added. This means that iodide ions are incorporated in the solid phase together with the water of hydration. Besides, the concentration of iodate ion remarkably decreased for all samples under experimental conditions. In the Raman analysis, some differences in structure due to incorporation of Al were observed, but the structure of the Ca-Al-Si hydrate hardly changed due to other factors. Based on the sorption distribution coefficients obtained in this study, the Ca-Al-Si hydrate can be expected to have a barrier performance against iodine. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Influence of aging of poly[(trimethylsilyl)prop-1-yne] on the thermodynamics of sorption of light hydrocarbons

Changes in the properties of the poly[(trimethylsilyl)prop-1-yne] (PTMSP) film deposited on the walls of a quartz capillary under the action of high temperatures were studied by chromatographic methods. The change in the thermodynamic parameters of sorption of light hydrocarbons related to both physical aging of the PTMSP film and, possibly, its chemical destruction was examined.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Evaluation of engineered sorbents for the sorption of mercury from contaminated bank soils: a column study

Abstract As a global environmental pollutant, mercury (Hg) threatens our water resources and presents a substantial risk to human health. The rate and extent of immobilization of Hg 2+ (hereafter, Hg) on engineered sorbents (Thiol-SAMMS®, pine biochar, SediMite™, Organoclay™ PM-199, and quartz sand as a control) was evaluated using flow-through column experiments. The effectiveness of the sorbents was based on (1) the percentage of Hg removed in relation to the total amount of Hg passing the sorbent column, and (2) the rate of Hg uptake compared to the nonreactive tracer bromide (Br − ). All sorbents removed Hg to a certain extent, but none of the sorbents removed all the Hg introduced to the columns. Thiol-SAMMS showed the highest mean percentage of Hg removed (87% ± 2.9%), followed by Organoclay PM-199 (71% ± 0.4%), pine biochar (57% ± 22.3%), SediMite (61% ± 0.8%), and the control quartz sand (11% ± 5.6%). Thiol-SAMMS was the only sorbent to exhibit retardation of Hg in comparison to the conservative tracer Br − . For the remaining sorbents, Br − along with low concentrations of Hg were eluted within the first 3 pore volumes, indicating limited retardation of Hg. Overall, removal of Hg by sorbents was substantial, suggesting that sorbents might be suitable for deployment in contaminated environments. High concentrations of DOM leaching from the soil columns likely influenced the speciation of Hg and inhibited sorption to the sorbents. Incomplete removal of Hg by any sorbent suggests that additional optimization is needed to increase efficiency.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

In-situ subaqueous capping of mercury-contaminated sediments in a fresh-water aquatic system, Part II-evaluation of sorption materials

The function and longevity of traditional, passive, isolation caps can be augmented through the use of more chemically active capping materials which have higher sorptive capacities, ideally rendering metals non-bioavailable. In the case of Hg, active caps also mitigate the rate and extent of methylation. This research examined low cost, readily available, capping materials for their ability to sequester Hg and MeHg. Furthermore, selected capping materials were evaluated to inhibit the methylation of Hg in an incubation study as well as the capacity of a selected capping material to inhibit translocation of Hg and MeHg with respect to ebullition-facilitated contaminant transport in a column study. Results indicated that bauxite had a better capacity for mercury sorption than the other test materials. However, bauxite as well as soil capping materials did not decrease methylation to a significant extent. Materials with larger surface areas, higher organic matter and acid volatile sulfide (AVS) content displayed a larger partitioning coefficient. In the incubation experiments, the presence of a carbon source (lactate), electron acceptor (sulfate) and the appropriate strains of SRB provided the necessary conditions for Hg methylation to occur. The column study showed effectiveness in sequestering Hg and MeHg and retarding transport to the overlying water column; however, disturbances to the soil capping material resulting from gas ebullition negated its effectiveness.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Investigation of competitive sorption and plasticization of hyperaged CANAL ladder polymers for acid gas purification

Identifying membrane materials that have exceptional separation performance and stability to complex CO 2 -containing mixtures is a pressing topic in separation science. In this work, the membrane separation performance for a recently discovered class of contorted polymers synthesized via catalytic arene-norbornene annulation (CANAL) polymerization is presented. These CANAL polymers achieve high CO 2 /CH 4 selectivity of 68 after physical aging (up to ∼1 year), which significantly augments the size-sieving capabilities of the membranes. Binary CO 2 /CH 4 and ternary H 2 S/CO 2 /CH 4 testing result in a 41 % and 50 % enhancement in selectivities, respectively, for hyperaged (∼1 year) contorted CANAL polymers, highlighting their size-sieving capabilities. The remarkably high CO 2 /CH 4 mixed-gas and combined acid gas (CAG, (CO 2 +H 2 S)/CH 4 ) selectivities of 88 and 95, respectively, for CANAL-Me-S 5 F in particular surpass both the 2018 CO 2 /CH 4 mixed-gas and CAG upper bounds. Performance stability was also investigated for high concentrations of CO 2 , revealing a reduction in CO 2 /CH 4 mixed-gas selectivity without compromising CO 2 permeability, suggesting strong sorption of CO 2 but minimal plasticization effects for short testing periods. In addition, time-dependent plasticization shows negligible effects on CO 2 /CH 4 mixed-gas selectivity despite an increase in CO 2 permeability when exposed to high concentrations of plasticizing CO 2 over an extended period of 170 h. This study provides valuable insights into hyperaged CANAL polymers and their performance in practical industrial processes.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

Efficiency analysis of semi-open sorption heat pump systems

Sorption systems traditionally fall into two categories: closed (heat pumps and chillers) and open (dehumidification). Recent work has explored the possibility of semi-open systems, which can perform heat pumping or chilling while utilizing ambient humidity as the working fluid of the cycle, and are still capable of being driven by solar, waste, or combustion heat sources. The efficiencies of closed and open systems are well characterized, and can typically be determined from four temperature s. In this work, the performance potential of semi-open systems is explored by adapting expressions for the efficiency of closed and open systems to the novel semi-open systems. A key new parameter is introduced, which involves five temperatures, since both the ambient dry bulb and ambient dew point are used. Furthermore, this additional temperature is necessary to capture the open absorber performance in terms of both the absorption of humidity and sensible heat transfer with surrounding air.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Liquid Sorption-Enhanced Haber–Bosch Process

The use of a liquid sorbent in a traditional Haber-Bosch process enables significant improvements in energy efficiency and potential cost savings for arguably the most important chemical process on the planet. The approach presented in this report employs an incompressible liquid sorbent that absorbs and releases ammonia (NH 3 ) under specific conditions. To achieve this, we investigate reactions of ammonia and pure phosphoric acid (H 3 PO 4 , PA), which rapidly neutralize to form an equilibrated solution of monoammonium phosphate (MAP) and diammonium phosphate (DAP) that functions as a reversible and regenerable sorbent. Through intimate contact of the gas-phase Haber-Bosch reaction mixture with this liquid absorbent, complete equilibrium uptake may be achieved in an appropriately sized separator, and facile separation occurs through the use of independent liquid and gas phases. Following depressurization and release of the ammonia product, only the incompressible fluid needs to be repressurized and returned to the reactor. This study documents proof-of-concept absorption and desorption experiments carried out in 75 mL batch reactors, predominantly charged with precise MAP and DAP mixtures that equilibrate at process-relevant temperatures and pressures. We then assemble the first thermodynamic relationships that underlie this advantaged separation strategy, validated by reactive force field (ReaxFF) interatomic potential simulations, and benchmarked with traditional separation routes via process modeling and technoeconomic analysis. The scale of energy consumption in the century-old Haber-Bosch process is massive, and the elegant liquid sorption approach reported here offers opportunities to enhance its energy efficiency for the next frontier of ammonia synthesis.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

New Class of Type III Porous Liquids: A Promising Platform for Rational Adjustment of Gas Sorption Behavior

Porous materials have already manifested their unique properties in a number of fields. Generally, all porous materials are in a solid state other than liquid, in which molecules are closely packed without porosity. “Porous” and “liquid” seem like antonyms. In this paper, we report a new class of Type 3 porous liquids based on rational coupling of microporous framework nanoparticles as porous hosts with a bulky ionic liquid as the fluid media. Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) and CO 2 adsorption measurements confirm the successful engineering of permanent porosity into these liquids. Compared to common porous solid materials, as-synthesized porous liquids exhibited pronounced hysteresis loops in the CO 2 sorption isotherms even at ambient conditions (298 K, 1 bar). Finally, the unique features of these novel porous liquids could bring new opportunities in many fields including gas separation and storage, air separation and regeneration, gas transport, and permanent gas storage at ambient conditions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Single Component Sorption-Desorption Test Experimental Design Approach Discussions

A task was identified within the fission-product-transport work package to develop a path forward for doing testing to determine behavior of volatile fission products behavior and to engage members of the NGNP community to advise and dissent on the approach. The following document is a summary of the discussions and the specific approaches suggested for components of the testing. Included in the summary isare the minutes of the conference call that was held with INL and external interested parties to elicit comments on the approaches brought forward by the INL participants. The conclusion was that an initial non-radioactive, single component test will be useful to establish the limits of currently available chemical detection methods, and to evaluated source-dispersion uniformity. In parallel, development of a real-time low-concentration monitoring method is believed to be useful in detecting rapid dispersion as well as desorption phenomena. Ultimately, the test cycle is expected to progress to the use of radio-traced species, simply because this method will allow the lowest possible detection limits. The consensus of the conference call was that there is no need for an in-core test because the duct and heat exchanger surfaces that will be the sorption target will be outside the main neutron flux and will not be affected by irradiation. Participants in the discussion and contributors to the INL approach were Jeffrey Berg, Pattrick Calderoni, Gary Groenewold, Paul Humrickhouse, Brad Merrill, and Phil Winston. Participants from outside the INL included David Hanson of General Atomics, Todd Allen, Tyler Gerczak, and Izabela Szlufarska of the University of Wisconsin, Gary Was, of the University of Michigan, Sudarshan Loyalka and Tushar Ghosh of the University of Missouri, and Robert Morris of Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Sorption Behavior and Morphology of Plutonium in the Presence of Goethite at 25 and 80°C

In this study, we examined the sorption behavior of Pu at elevated temperatures in the presence of one relevant mineral, goethite (α-FeOOH), over a range of concentrations that span solubility-controlled to adsorption-controlled concentrations. We focused on the sorptive behavior of two common forms of Pu: aqueous Pu(IV) and intrinsic Pu(IV) nano-colloids at 25 and 80°C in a dilute pH 8 NaCl/NaHCO 3 solution. The morphology of Pu sorbed to goethite was characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). We examined the relative stability of PuO 2 precipitates, PuO 2 nano-colloids, Pu 4 O 7 surface precipitates, and monomeric sorbed Pu as a function of temperature and over a time scale of months.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

M4FT-16LL080302052-Update to Thermodynamic Database Development and Sorption Database Integration

This progress report (Level 4 Milestone Number M4FT-16LL080302052) summarizes research conducted at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) within the Argillite Disposal R&D Work Package Number FT-16LL08030205. The focus of this research is the thermodynamic modeling of Engineered Barrier System (EBS) materials and properties and development of thermodynamic databases and models to evaluate the stability of EBS materials and their interactions with fluids at various physico-chemical conditions relevant to subsurface repository environments. The development and implementation of equilibrium thermodynamic models are intended to describe chemical and physical processes such as solubility, sorption, and diffusion.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Investigation of Sorption and Diffusion Mechanisms, and Preliminary Economic Analysis

This report describes the synthesis and evaluation of molecular sieve zeolite membranes to separate and concentrate tritiated water (HTO) from dilute HTO-bearing aqueous streams. Several monovalent and divalent cation exchanged silico alumino phosphate (SAPO-34) molecular sieve zeolite membranes were synthesized on disk supports and characterized with gas and vapor permeation measurements. The pervaporation process performance was evaluated for the separation and concentration of tritiated water. Experiments were performed using tritiated water feed solution containing tritium at the high end of the range (1 mCi/mL) anticipated in a nuclear fuel processing system that includes both acid and water streams recycling. The tritium concentration was about 0.1 ppm. The permeate was recovered under vacuum. The HTO/H2O selectivity and separation factor calculated from the measured tritium concentrations ranged from 0.99 to 1.23, and 0.83-0.98, respectively. Although the membrane performance for HTO separation was lower than expected, several encouraging observations including molecular sieving and high vapor permeance are reported. Additionally, several new approaches are proposed, such as tuning the sorption and diffusion properties offered by small pore LTA zeolite materials, and cation exchanged aluminosilicates with high metal loading. It is hypothesized that substantially improved preferential transport of tritium (HTO) resulting in a more concentrated permeate can be achieved. Preliminary economic analysis for the membrane-based process to concentrate tritiated water is also discussed.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

One Step Hydrogen Generation Through Sorption Enhanced Reforming

One-step hydrogen generation, using Sorption Enhanced Reforming (SER) technology, is an innovative means of providing critical energy and environmental improvements to US manufacturing processes. The Gas Technology Institute (GTI) is developing a Compact Hydrogen Generator (CHG) process, based on SER technology, which successfully integrates previously independent process steps, achieves superior energy efficiency by lowering reaction temperatures, and provides pathways to doubling energy productivity with less environmental pollution. GTI’s prior CHG process development efforts have culminated in an operational pilot plant. During the initial pilot testing, GTI identified two operating risks- 1) catalyst coating with calcium aluminate compounds, 2) limited solids handling of the sorbent. Under this contract GTI evaluated alternative materials (one catalyst and two sorbents) to mitigate both risks. The alternate catalyst met performance targets and did not experience coating with calcium aluminate compounds of any kind. The alternate sorbent materials demonstrated viable operation, with one material enabling a three-fold increase in sorbent flow. The testing also demonstrated operation at 90% of its rated capacity. Lastly, a carbon dioxide co-production study was performed to assess the advantage of the solid phase separation of carbon dioxide- inherent in the CHG process. Approximately 70% lower capital cost is achievable compared to SMR-based hydrogen production with CO2 capture, as well as improved operating costs.

08 HYDROGEN↗