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Microwave-assisted regeneration of amine-functionalized sorbents for direct air capture.

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Title: Microwave-assisted regeneration of amine-functionalized sorbents for direct air capture.
Authors: Strobel, M.1 (AUTHOR) mstrobel1@crimson.ua.edu, Boylu, R.1 (AUTHOR), Mohammed, S.2 (AUTHOR), Erguvan, M.1 (AUTHOR), Amini, S.1 (AUTHOR) samini3@ua.edu
Source: Chemical Engineering Journal. Feb2026, Vol. 529, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p.
Subjects: Sorbents, Carbon dioxide adsorption, Adsorption (Chemistry), Carbon sequestration, Adsorption capacity, Energy consumption
Abstract: The mitigation of rising atmospheric CO 2 concentrations requires scalable negative-emission technologies, with direct air capture (DAC) emerging as a promising solution. The development of energy-efficient regeneration methods is crucial for advancing DAC technologies. This study investigates the performance of two commercial amine-based sorbents, Purolite A110 and Lewatit VP OC 1065, in a packed-bed reactor under DAC conditions, employing microwave swing adsorption (MWSA) as a novel regeneration approach. Dynamic column breakthrough experiments were conducted under dry and humid conditions. Purolite achieved higher equilibrium capacities compared to Lewatit (1.43 mmol/g vs. 1.13 mmol/g under dry conditions). Humidity enhances adsorption capacity significantly, increasing uptake by 51.2% for Purolite and 45.5% for Lewatit at 75% relative humidity. Both sorbents achieved regeneration efficiencies above 83% across 15 experiments confirming the feasibility of microwave-assisted regeneration, with Purolite consistently showing higher CO 2 productivity. Sensitivity analysis revealed that partial regeneration (90%) at 80–100 °C reduced specific thermal energy consumption by up to 76% compared to complete regeneration, from 50.54 MJ th / kg C O 2 to 11.52 MJ th / kg C O 2 . High level of co-adsorbed water displayed beneficial for CO 2 productivity, although, increased the thermal energy consumption. Cyclic testing over 10 adsorption – desorption cycles demonstrated stable performance, with regeneration efficiencies over 83% and minimal loss in adsorption capacity. These findings highlight the potential of MWSA to intensify DAC processes by enabling rapid, volumetric heating with reduced energy penalties. This work lays the foundation for optimization and scale-up of microwave-assisted DAC systems to commercial scales. • First study to assess Purolite A110 in DAC under microwave conditions • Purolite and Lewatit showed good microwave absorption of 39% and 35%. • MWSA enabled rapid, uniform heating with over 83% regeneration efficiency. • Thermal energy consumption can be reduced by 76% under 90% partial regeneration. • Optimized MWSA reached 11.5 MJ/kg CO 2 with stable cyclic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database: Engineering Source
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Abstract:The mitigation of rising atmospheric CO 2 concentrations requires scalable negative-emission technologies, with direct air capture (DAC) emerging as a promising solution. The development of energy-efficient regeneration methods is crucial for advancing DAC technologies. This study investigates the performance of two commercial amine-based sorbents, Purolite A110 and Lewatit VP OC 1065, in a packed-bed reactor under DAC conditions, employing microwave swing adsorption (MWSA) as a novel regeneration approach. Dynamic column breakthrough experiments were conducted under dry and humid conditions. Purolite achieved higher equilibrium capacities compared to Lewatit (1.43 mmol/g vs. 1.13 mmol/g under dry conditions). Humidity enhances adsorption capacity significantly, increasing uptake by 51.2% for Purolite and 45.5% for Lewatit at 75% relative humidity. Both sorbents achieved regeneration efficiencies above 83% across 15 experiments confirming the feasibility of microwave-assisted regeneration, with Purolite consistently showing higher CO 2 productivity. Sensitivity analysis revealed that partial regeneration (90%) at 80–100 °C reduced specific thermal energy consumption by up to 76% compared to complete regeneration, from 50.54 MJ th / kg C O 2 to 11.52 MJ th / kg C O 2 . High level of co-adsorbed water displayed beneficial for CO 2 productivity, although, increased the thermal energy consumption. Cyclic testing over 10 adsorption – desorption cycles demonstrated stable performance, with regeneration efficiencies over 83% and minimal loss in adsorption capacity. These findings highlight the potential of MWSA to intensify DAC processes by enabling rapid, volumetric heating with reduced energy penalties. This work lays the foundation for optimization and scale-up of microwave-assisted DAC systems to commercial scales. • First study to assess Purolite A110 in DAC under microwave conditions • Purolite and Lewatit showed good microwave absorption of 39% and 35%. • MWSA enabled rapid, uniform heating with over 83% regeneration efficiency. • Thermal energy consumption can be reduced by 76% under 90% partial regeneration. • Optimized MWSA reached 11.5 MJ/kg CO 2 with stable cyclic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:13858947
DOI:10.1016/j.cej.2026.172795