Speaker: Dr. Marty Lail, RTI International

Abstract: Finding more efficient gas−liquid scrubbing systems having lower parasitic energy penalties is important for the future deployment of carbon capture plants for large point source CO2 emitters. Minimization of the energy penalty using advanced solvents is one way to reduce the energy penalty. Non-aqueous, hydrophobic solvents are one type of solvent in which the physical properties of the solvent combined with low heats of absorption and low loading at high temperature, even with high CO2 pressure, result in promising solvents with low estimated reboiler heat duty. In this presentation, solvents composed of hydrophobic amines combined with suitable organic solvents are discussed mechanistically, and the experimentally determined reaction products, heats of absorption, and vapor liquid equilibria are presented. Approximating process models are compared which indicate the potential to lower the parasitic energy penalty in a commercial implementation.

Bio: Dr. Marty Lail is currently Senior Director of Carbon Capture and Conversion at RTI International. He has worked in the area of carbon capture and utilization for the past thirteen years starting with his tenure as a Federal Postdoc at the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Prior to that he received his Ph.D. in Chemistry in 2006 from North Carolina State University
under Professor T. Brent Gunnoe studying homogeneous catalysis and completed postdoctoral work at the University of California-Berkeley under Professor Robert Bergman. Dr. Lail is currently Principle Investigator for three projects with the Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Lab including a large-scale pilot demonstration of an advanced CO2 scrubbing technology. Prior to leading the CO2 Capture and Conversion team at RTI Dr. Lail led the Materials Chemistry team at RTI developing materials for catalysis, separations, and storage.