Carbon dioxide adsorption on amine-impregnated mesoporous materials prepared from spent quartz sand

Abstract

Mesoporous MCM-41 was synthesized using cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as a cationic surfactant and spent quartz sand as the silica source. Modification of the mesoporous structure to create an absorbent was then completed using 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane. Amine-Quartz-MCM (The A-Q-MCM) adsorbents were then characterized by N₂ adsorption/desorption, elemental analysis (EA), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), as well as the carbon dioxide (CO₂) adsorption/desorption performance. In this study, spent quartz sand was utilized to synthesize Quartz-MCM (Q-MCM) and the amine functionalized material, A-Q-MCM, which exhibited a higher uptake of CO₂ at room temperature compared with the nongrafted material. The results showed that Q-MCM is similar to MCM-41 synthesized using commercial methods. The surface area, pore volume, and pore diameter were found to be as high as 1028 m²/g, 0.907 cm³/g, and 3.04 nm, respectively. Under the condition of CO₂ concentration of 5000 ppm, retention time of 50 cc/min, and the dosage of 1 g/cm³, the mean adsorption capacity of CO₂ onto A-Q-MCM was about 89 mg/g, and the nitrogen content of A-Q-MCM was 2.74%. The adsorption equilibrium was modeled well using a Freundlich isotherm.

Implications:

In this study, spent quartz sand was utilized to synthesize Q-MCM. The amine functionalized material exhibited a higher uptake of CO₂ at room temperature compared with the nongrafted material. The results showed that Q-MCM is similar to MCM-41 synthesized using commercial methods. The adsorption equilibrium was modeled well using a Freundlich isotherm.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yiteng Su

Yiteng Su is a postgraduate student in the Department of Environmental Engineering, National I-Lan University, I-Lan City, Taiwan, Republic of China. Yiteng Su and Dr. Angus Shiue contributed equally to this work.

Lihong Peng

Lihong Peng is an associate professor in the College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, P.R. China.

Angus Shiue

Angus Shiue is an assistant professor in Department of Environmental Engineering, National I-Lan University, I-Lan City, Taiwan, Republic of China.

Gui-Bing Hong

Gui-Bing Hong is an associate professor in the Department of Cosmetic Application and Management, St. Mary’s Medicine, I-Lan City, Taiwan, Republic of China.

Zhang Qian

Zhang Qian obtained her Ph.D. in the Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering at National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.

Chang-Tang Chang

Chang-Tang Chang obtained his Ph.D. in the Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering at National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China and is a professor in the Department of Environmental Engineering, National I-Lan University, I-Lan City, Taiwan, Republic of China.