Kinetics of absorption of carbon dioxide into aqueous potassium salt of proline

The absorption of carbon dioxide (CO2) into aqueous solution of potassium prolinate (KPr) are studied at 303, 313, and 323 K within the salt concentration range of 0.5–3.0 kmol m−3 using a wetted wall column absorber. The experimental results are used to interpret the kinetics of the reaction of CO2 with KPr for the above mentioned concentration and temperature range. Following the reaction mechanism of CO2 with primary and secondary alkanolamies, the reaction of CO2 with KPr is also described using zwitterionic mechanism. Based on the pseudo-first-order condition for the CO2 absorption, the reaction rate parameters are determined from the kinetic measurements and presented at each experimental condition. The reaction order is found to be in between 1.36 and 1.40 with respect to KPr for the above mentioned concentration range. The second-order rate constants, k2, are obtained as 118,914, 203,851, and 317,625 m3 kmol−1 s−1 at 303, 313, and 323 K, respectively with activation energy of 36.5 kJ mol−1. The second-order rate constants are much higher than for alkanolamines and some other salt of amino acids.