Mass transfer enhancement factor for chemical absorption of carbon dioxide into sodium metaborate solution

Hydrogen is getting increasing attention as a medium for energy storage, and sodium borohydride is accepted as a suitable carrier for hydrogen. The main product of the process by means of which hydrogen is produced from sodium borohydride is sodium metaborate. Our aim was to find an alternative use for sodium metaborate and specifically investigating the feasibility to use it for carbon dioxide capture from flue gases. The products of this chemical absorption are sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate and boric acid, all of which are industrially important chemicals. A bubble column was used in the experiments. Oxygen desorption technique was employed to determine the liquid side physical mass transfer coefficient. Chemical mass transfer coefficient was determined by absorption of carbon dioxide from its mixture with nitrogen into sodium metaborate solution. Enhancement factor was then calculated and a correlation was developed for it.