Hollow Fiber Membrane Contactors in CO2 Desorption: A Review

Postcombustion carbon capture (PCC) using membrane technology is a rising alternative to PCC processes that are based on conventional equipment, such as CO2 absorption–desorption in packed columns, to mitigate human-associated climate change. Research on CO2 capture systems has centered on improving the CO2 absorption process efficiency, while little attention has been devoted to the performance of the solvent regeneration technology. In this review, research development is focused on the performance of the CO2 desorption process using hollow fiber membrane contactors. The main impact factors in membrane contactor technology are presented, including solvent and membrane material selection, membrane module design, mass transfer correlations, operational issues, modeling, and simulations. Each section is discussed in terms of its current status future challenges to improve the technology for its industrial implementation are described.