Investigating amines
Of the amines employed in new technology for CO2 capture, a small proportion escapes into the atmosphere with the flue gas emitted by gas-fired power plants. This can lead to the formation of new compounds that may give health-related and environmental challenges. How to deal with this issue is the subject of several research projects.
Under this dome in Valencia, researchers will seek to find out what happens to amines in the atmosphere. Photo: EUPHORE
The research project “Amine Emissions to Air during Carbon Capture” examined what happens when amines are emitted into the atmosphere along with the scrubbed flue gas from CO2 capture facilities. Conclusions from the project indicate that the degradation products may introduce health-related and environmental challenges. The project was based on a review of existing literature.
The Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), together with the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority (SFT), took the initiative in 2007 to embark on the study due to concerns that CO2 capture using amines could pose health-related and environmental risks. NILU, as project owner, assembled a group of researchers with broad scientific expertise to create a worst-case scenario involving the emission of amines.
StatoilHydro, Shell and the CLIMIT programme provided project funding. In addition to NILU, participants included the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) and the Department of Chemistry at the University of Oslo.
Degradation products
The project focused on four amines (MEA, AMP, MDEA and piperazine) that are relevant for use at CO2 capture facilities. The investigations showed that health-related and environmental challenges were primarily associated with the degradation products formed when amines react with other compounds in the atmosphere.
Photooxidation creates hundreds of degradation products, and the project examined the most important of them: nitrosamines, nitramines, aldehydes and amides. Even low levels of nitrosamines can be toxic and carcinogenic, while nitramines are less carcinogenic but persist longer in the atmosphere.
Worst case situation
To get a sense of how the discharge of amines would affect the environment surrounding a CO2 capture facility, the research group studied the worst-case scenario of what could happen to the emissions, based on what is known about the various amines and their degradation products. The researchers started with the lowest level at which nitrosamines and nitramines have been shown to trigger negative health effects, combined with the highest expected emission of amines in the flue gas.
Their studies showed that nitrosamines and nitramines could become a problem for water-dwelling organisms and for people – on the assumption that the amines and by-products would fall with rain and end up in bodies of water, including sources of drinking water. The calculations are somewhat uncertain, however, and are based partly on data from other amine types than those most typically used at CO2 capture facilities – the best data available when the study was conducted. To collect even more pertinent data, degradation experiments are to be conducted in Valencia, Spain.
Experiments in Valencia
The project, which has found some distinct knowledge gaps, is now being followed up by a new project administered by the University of Oslo. Amines will be investigated in a reaction chamber to determine which compounds are formed and how they behave. The experiments will be conducted in Valencia, Spain, under the direction of Professor Claus Nielsen of the University of Oslo’s Department of Chemistry.
These experiments will concentrate on the amine MEA, which undergoes complex reactions once released into the atmosphere. There is no method of calculating the yield of the various compounds formed in the atmosphere. Experimental data is scarce as well, which the researchers hope to remedy with a series of measurements at EUPHORE – the world’s largest laboratory for studies of atmospheric chemistry – in Valencia. Inside two enormous domes, every parameter can be controlled for measuring the type and yield of compounds formed. The findings will be available in autumn 2009. Financed by StatoilHydro, the project is receiving additional funding under the CLIMIT programme.
Looking ahead
Project manager Svein Knudsen of NILU stresses the importance of following up the study with more laboratory activities, measurements and model development. A second phase of the project “Amine Emissions to Air during Carbon Capture” is already being planned.
PROJECT FACTS
Title: Amine Emissions to Air during Carbon Capture
Project owner: Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU)
Project participants: University of Oslo, Norwegian College of Fishery Science, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA)
Sponsors: Statoil, Shell, Research Programme on Natural Gas Power (the CLIMIT programme)
Budget: NOK 2.3 million
Funding allocated under the CLIMIT programme: NOK 1.2 million
Project period: 2008-2009
Website: co2.nilu.no
Ten different reports from the project may be downloaded at: co2.nilu.no.
- Published:
- 27.05.2009
- Last updated:
- 04.06.2009
