A Review of Carbon Capture Technologies: Current Capture Technologies, Challenges, and Future Development

Abstract

Nowadays, global warming has become one of the significant issues that humans are facing. Carbon capture technologies, as essential tools to mitigate carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, have been applied in power plants and industrial processes globally. This paper examines prevalent carbon capture technologies by reviewing the relevant principles and research progress in the field of carbon capture. Three combustion configurations: pre-combustion, post-combustion, and oxy-fuel combustion are elaborated in this review concerning carbon capture. Pre-combustion carbon capture extracts CO₂ before the combustion process, transforming the hydrocarbon fuels into syngas which are composed of CO₂ and hydrogen for later combustion. Post-combustion carbon capture aims to capture CO₂ after the combustions. Various techniques can be applied for carbon capture after the combustion, with chemical absorption and membrane separation widely used. Oxy-fuel combustion uses pure oxygen to accomplish the combustion so that the exhausted gases can mainly composed of CO₂ and water vapor, which is easy for CO₂ capture. This paper also highlights the critical role that carbon capture technologies will play in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and emphasizes the current technology drawbacks. It provides a reference for future carbon capture studies and developments, which will be crucial for achieving international climate goals.