| Title |
Assessment of CO2 Removal Efficiency in an Integrated Process of Electrolysis and Mineral Carbonation Using Concentrated Brine from Seawater Desalination |
| Authors |
채지현(Chae, Jihyun) ; 이상민(Lee, Sangmin) ; 임정은(Lim, Jungeun) |
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.12652/Ksce.2025.45.2.0193 |
| Keywords |
탄소중립; CCUS; 광물탄산화; 해수담수화; 수전해 Carbon neutrality; CCUS; Mineral carbonation; Sewater desalination; Water electrolysis |
| Abstract |
Achieving carbon neutrality to combat climate change is a critical challenge in modern environmental technology, emphasizing the urgent need for innovative approaches in carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies. In this study, an electrochemical continuous mineral carbonation process utilizing seawater desalination brine was developed to evaluate CO2 removal performance and elucidate carbonation mechanisms. Analysis of cation enrichment in the cathodic side of the seawater electrolysis reactor under varying retention times revealed a maximum 3.9-fold increase in Ca2+ concentration, experimentally demonstrating the improvement of cation availability in the mineral carbonation process. Evaluation of CO2 removal performance based on catholyte inflow rates (8-100 mL/min) indicated a significant linear correlation between inflow rate and CO2 removal, expressed as “CO2 removal = 0.16×catholyte inflow + 22.96”(R2=0.975). Under optimal operating conditions (seawater inflow rate: 15 mL/min; catholyte inflow rate: 100 mL/min), the continuous mineral carbonation process achieved a CO2 removal efficiency of 86.1 % and a removal rate of 46.9 mmol/hr over 4000 seconds. Furthermore, mineral carbonation experiments using Mg-depleted catholyte supernatant confirmed that the precipitated carbonate was high-purity calcite (CaCO3), as verified by XRD and EDS analyses. The elemental composition of the product closely matched the theoretical composition of calcium carbonate. These results highlight the significant potential of seawater-based CO2 reduction and integrated carbonation processes, offering promising prospects for the practical application of CCUS technologies in achieving carbon neutrality. |