MICROFLUIDICS FOR CARBON CAPTURE AND SEQUESTRATION

• Other Authors: Seo, Seokju (author), Kim, Myeongsub (Mike) (Thesis advisor), Florida Atlantic University (Degree grantor), Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Florida Atlantic University
• Subjects: Carbon dioxide capture; Carbon dioxide mitigation; Microfluidics; Carbon capture and storage; Carbon sequestration; Carbonic acid; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013412; https://fau.digital.flvc.org/islandora/object/fau%3A42210/datastream/TN/view/MICROFLUIDICS%20FOR%20CARBON%20CAPTURE%20AND%20SEQUESTRATION.jpg

Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) has been considered a promising technology for mitigating heavy atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration as an immediate response to global climate change and ocean acidification. Despite various previous studies on CCS, there has been a paucity of research to overcome many of the challenges. In geological carbon sequestration, there are two major issues in achieving a feasible means of storing CO2. The first is the slow reaction of carbonic acid (H2CO3) formation from the reaction between injected CO2 and brine. Another technical challenge to the realization of industrial-scale carbon sequestration is the drying-out of brine induced by CO2 advection. The resident brine near a wellbore area is rapidly evaporated while precipitating significant amounts of salt at pores when gaseous CO2 is continuously injected into these aquifers. On the other hand, in industrial post-carbon capture processes, monoethanolamine (MEA) has been dominantly used as an absorption solvent. However, it generates significant amounts of toxic wastewater containing chemicals difficult to treat. The objectives of this thesis are to address these challenges in CCS, making the CCS technology feasible and competitive. An innovative method for geologic carbon sequestration, namely nickel nanoparticles (Ni NPs) addition to the injection fluid was developed and evaluated, to address issues of the slow reaction in deep saline aquifers. The catalytic activity of Ni NPs was evaluated using the microfluidic technique to confirm their possibility of additive for enhancing CO2 hydration in deep saline aquifers. First of all, to achieve acceleration of CO2 dissolution under reservoir-specific conditions, the catalytic effect of Ni NPs was investigated by monitoring change in CO2 bubble size at various Ni NPs concentration, pH, and different levels of salinity. Then, steric stabilization of Ni NPs by adsorbing polymers has been studied to further enhance Ni NPs’ catalytic activity. Second, to overcome the brine ...