Insights into CO2 Capture by Flue Gas Hydrate Formation: Gas Composition Evolution in Systems Containing Gas Hydrates and Gas Mixtures at Stable Pressures

Capturing CO2 from power plant flue gas through hydrate formation is starting to be applied on an industrial scale. Several methods have been developed, and a large number of experiments have been conducted in order to investigate ways of increasing their efficiency. However, most of them suffer from a lack of detailed kinetic studies. In this Letter, we present a highly accurate method to investigate the kinetics of flue gas hydrate formation. Preliminary results are detailed at three different temperatures. It has been found that more than 40% of CO2 capture in the form of hydrates occurs after reaching the final pressure. Therefore, statistically constant pressure cannot be used as a sign of thermodynamic equilibrium. The results obtained from this study are important for optimizing CO2 separation operations thus maximizing efficiency and reducing economic barriers. In addition, they are also useful in studying the kinetics of hydrate formation in other gas mixture systems.