3D_CAPCO2

To keep global warming limited to 2 °C by the end of the century, the emission of greenhouse gasses much decrease dramatically. The removal of CO2 from point sources and directly from the air form a part of the solution. CO2 adsorption on solid adsorbents is one of the technologies currently being scaled up. Classical adsorbent reactors containing spherical adsorbent pellets have major limitations regarding pressure drop and heat and mass transfer. The use of novel adsorbent geometries would allow to alleviate these limitations.
This PhD project aims at developing such geometries using 3D-printing. The objective is to design new adsorbent monolith structures for carbon capture from dilute sources (point-source or direct air capture) using SLA printing. The project is centralized around an interdisciplinary team of chemists, physical chemist and chemical engineers, to allow a process-informed design of new adsorbent structures. It has a large potential to decrease the energy demand and improve efficiency of current CO2 capture units.
The PhD project puts an important emphasis on the formation of the doctoral candidate for his future career. The candidate will gain expertise in material formulation, physiochemical characterisation methods and process aspects, covering all aspects relevant for the development of gas separation processes. A 6-month international research stay is foreseen, allowing the candidate to acquire unique technical skills and build an international network. Close interactions are foreseen with an industrial mentor at TotalEnergies. Regular exchanges with the mentor, visits to industrial facilities and the global network provided by the partner will give the candidate unique opportunities to develop his professional skills and network.