Oxygen production routes assessment for oxy-fuel combustion

Oxyfuel combustion is a promising alternative to decarbonize the power sector. However, the main barrier to commercial deployment of the technology is the high energy consumption associated with oxygen production (-200-300 kWh per ton of O-2), which penalizes the thermal-to-electric efficiency of 8.5-12% compared to traditional air combustion plants. Typically, oxygen is obtained from a cryogenic air separation process. However, other technologies have been…

Low-pressure calcination to enhance the calcium looping process for thermochemical energy storage

The Calcium-Looping (CaL) process, based on the multicyclic calcination-carbonation of CaCO3/CaO, is considered a promising Thermochemical Energy Storage (TCES) technology to be integrated into Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plants. This work proposes a novel CaL integration that operates at low-pressure calcination under pure CO2 and a moderated temperature. Low-pressure calcination (0.01 bar) provides a suitable solution…

On the adsorption properties and applications of mixed-linker MOFs based on HKUST-1

Different mixed-linker MOFs based on HKUST-1 have been successfully synthesized using BtTC (1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylate) and BDC (1,4-benzenedicarboxylate) as modulator ligands. These MOFs maintain the HKUST-1 structure up to 25% and 50% of trimesic acid replacing with BtTC and BDC ligands, respectively. A low percentage of modulator ligand provokes an increasing of the MOF surface area keeping…

Overlooked pitfalls in CaO carbonation kinetics studies nearby equilibrium: Instrumental effects on calculated kinetic rate constants

Due to its technological applications, such as CO2 capture, CaO carbonation kinetics has been extensively studied using a wide array of methods and experimental conditions. A complete understanding of carbonation kinetics is key to optimizing the operating conditions as well as to correctly design the carbonation reactor. However, there is yet no consensus on the…

Steam-enhanced calcium-looping performance of limestone for thermochemical energy storage: The role of particle size

Steam injection has been proposed to attenuate the decay of CaO reactivity during calcium looping (CaL) under operating conditions compatible with carbon capture and storage. However, it is yet unknown whether the perceived advantages granted by steam hold under the distinct operating conditions required for the integration of the CaL process as a thermochemical energy…

Thermal behavior of ammonium fluorosilicates complexes: Obtaining and kinetic analysis

In this work, a mixture of (NH4)3SiF7/(NH4)2SiF6 powders was obtained as a by-product of the Li extraction process from alpha-spodumene aluminosilicate with NH4HF2. The thermal behavior of the powders was analyzed by non-isothermal thermogravimetric experiments. The kinetic parameters that describe the processes involved were obtained using mathematical deconvolution, Friedman’s method, combined kinetic analysis, and nonlinear…

Ageing-resistant zirconia/graphene-based nanostructures composites for use as biomaterials

This work explores the incorporation of graphene-based two-dimensional nanostructures as moisture barriers to delay hydrothermal ageing of yttria-stabilized zirconia and strengthen its use in biomedical applications. Two sets of highly dense zirconia composites incorporating multilayered graphene with very different lateral dimensions, few layer graphene and exfoliated graphene nanoplatelets, were prepared. The effect of the addition of graphene nanostructures on…

Highly uniform Y3Al2Ga3O12-based nanophosphors for persistent luminescence bioimaging in the visible and NIR regions

In the last few years, persistent phosphors with a garnet crystal structure have attracted a great deal of interest for a plethora of applications ranging from bioimaging to anti-counterfeiting technologies. However, the development of synthesis methods to fabricate uniform garnet-based micro and nanoparticles, that are needed for such applications, is not mature at all. This…