PROCESS FOR ACCELERATED CAPTURE OF CARBON DIOXIDE

• US 20100086983A1
• Filed: 09/29/2009
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CO2 Solutions Inc.
• Original Assignee: Akermin, Inc.
• Inventors: Gellett, Wayne L., Schumacher, Joshua, Bucholz, Tracy L., Zvosec, Richard T., Clayton, Robert A., Shirtum, Robert P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,998,714 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/168
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/504 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/1475 Removing carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/229 Integrated processes (Diffusion and at least one other process, e.g. adsorption, absorption)
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/75 Multi-step processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/85 with gas-solid contact
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/864 Removing carbon monoxide or hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/8671 Removing components of defined structure not provided for in B01D53/8603 - B01D53/8668
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 11/082 obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 11/089 obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 9/88 Lyases (4.)
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 9/96 Stabilising an enzyme by forming an adduct or a composition; Forming enzyme conjugates
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/40 of CO2
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/59 Biological synthesis; Biological purification

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to the removal of carbon dioxide from a gas stream, particularly a flue gas, hydrogen gas from a reformer, natural gas, or gas from a cement kiln. Immobilized enzymes for use in carbon capture and other systems are also disclosed.

Claims

1-94. -94. (canceled)

95. A process for removing CO₂ from a CO₂-containing gas, the process comprising

contacting an aqueous liquid with a CO₂-containing gas to promote diffusion of the CO₂ into the aqueous liquid;

and contacting the CO₂ in the aqueous liquid with immobilized carbonic anhydrase entrapped in a polymeric immobilization material to catalyze hydration of the CO₂ and form a treated liquid containing hydrogen ions and bicarbonate ions;

wherein the polymeric immobilization material either (i) stabilizes the carbonic anhydrase or (ii) comprises a micellar or inverted micellar material.

96. The process of claim 95 wherein the aqueous liquid and CO₂-containing gas are contacted in a co-current configuration.

97. The process of claim 96 wherein the polymeric immobilization material comprises a micellar or inverted micellar material.

98. The process of claim 95 wherein the process is performed in a reaction vessel which comprises a bottom portion including a gas inlet and a liquid outlet, a top portion including a liquid inlet and a gas outlet, and a middle portion containing a plurality of particles comprising an immobilized carbonic anhydrase or coated with immobilized carbonic anhydrase entrapped in a polymeric immobilization material;

the process comprising contacting an aqueous liquid which enters the liquid inlet and flows downward in the reaction vessel with a CO₂-containing gas which enters the gas inlet and flows upward in the reaction vessel to promote diffusion of the CO₂ into the aqueous liquid and catalyze hydration of the CO₂ in the aqueous liquid in the presence of the immobilized carbonic anhydrase to form a treated liquid containing hydrogen ions and bicarbonate ions and a treated gas;

evacuating the treated liquid from the liquid outlet and evacuating the treated gas from the gas outlet.

99. The process of claim 95 further comprising contacting the treated liquid with particles coated with immobilized carbonic anhydrase entrapped in a polymeric immobilization material, wherein the carbonic anhydrase catalyzes conversion of the hydrogen ions and the bicarbonate ions into concentrated CO₂ and water.

100. The process of claim 95 wherein the stabilized carbonic anhydrase retains at least about 15% of its initial catalytic activity for at least about 5 days when continuously catalyzing a chemical transformation at a temperature from about 30°

C. to about 100°

C.

101. The process of claim 98 wherein the CO₂-containing gas enters the gas inlet in the form of microbubbles.

102. The process of claim 95 wherein the aqueous liquid comprises a base.

103. The process of claim 102 wherein the base is a metal hydroxide, a quaternary ammonium hydroxide, a metal carbonate, a conjugate base of a weak acid, a quaternary ammonium carbonate, a quaternary ammonium alkoxide, a metal amide, a metal alkyl, a metal alkoxide, metal silanoate, an amine, an alkanolamine, or a combination thereof.

104. The process of claim 95 wherein the immobilization material entraps the carbonic anhydrase, the immobilization material being permeable to a compound smaller than the carbonic anhydrase and having the structure of either Formulae 5, 6, 7, or 8:

105. The process of claim 104 wherein the immobilization material has a structure of Formula 8.

106. The process of claim 105 wherein R₃₂ and R₃₃ are independently hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, -(substituted alkylene)-acid or a salt thereof, -(substituted alkylene)-base or a salt thereof, —

(CH₂)_qO—

(CH₂—

CH₂—

O)_z—

R_t, —

CH₂—

O—

(CH₂(CH₃)—

CH₂—

O)_z—

R_t, or a combination thereof, wherein z is an integer corresponding to a weight average molecular weight of about 150 Da to about 8000 Da, R_t is hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, or substituted aryl, q is an integer of 2, 3, or 4.

107. The process of claim 106 wherein the acid group comprises a carboxylic, a phosphonic, a phosphoric, a sulfonic, a sulfuric, a sulfamate, a salt thereof, or a combination thereof.

108. The process of claim 106 wherein the base comprises a tertiary amine, a quaternary amine, a nitrogen heterocycle, a salt thereof, or a combination thereof.

109. The process of claim 105 wherein R₃₂ and R₃₃ are independently hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, —

(CH₂)₃—

O—

((CH₂)_2-0)_z—

CH₃, —

(CH₂)₂—

C(O)—

O—

(CH₂)₂-imidazolium, or —

(CH₂)₃—

O—

CH₂—

CH(OH)—

N(CH₃)—

(CH₂)₂—

SO₃Na and z is an integer corresponding to a weight average molecular weight of about 150 Da to about 8000 Da.

110. A system for removing CO₂ from a CO₂-containing gas comprising a reaction vessel having a bottom portion containing a gas inlet and a liquid outlet, a top portion containing a liquid inlet and a gas outlet, and a middle portion containing a plurality of particles comprising an immobilized carbonic anhydrase or coated with carbonic anhydrase entrapped in a polymeric immobilization material, the carbonic anhydrase being capable of catalyzing hydration of CO₂ into hydrogen ions and bicarbonate ions, wherein the polymeric immobilization material either (i) stabilizes the carbonic anhydrase or (ii) comprises a micellar or inverted micellar material.

111. The system for removing CO₂ from a CO₂-containing gas of claim 110 further comprising a second reaction vessel, the second reaction vessel containing particles coated with carbonic anhydrase entrapped in a polymeric immobilization material wherein the carbonic anhydrase is capable of catalyzing conversion of the hydrogen ions and the bicarbonate ions into concentrated CO₂ and water.

112. The system of claim 111 wherein the second reaction vessel contains an immobilization material comprising a micellar or inverted micellar material.

113. An enzyme immobilized by entrapment in polymeric immobilization material, the immobilization material being permeable to a compound smaller than the enzyme and having the structure of either Formulae 5, 6, 7, or 8:

114. An enzyme immobilized by entrapment in a polymeric immobilization material, the material being permeable to a compound smaller than the enzyme and the enzyme being modified ionically or covalently by a hydrophilic, hydrophobic, or amphiphilic moiety.