Thermal degradation of aqueous 2-aminoethylethanolamine in CO2 capture; identification of degradation products, reaction mechanisms and computational studies.

Amine degradation is the main significant problems in amine-based post-combustion CO2 capture, causes foaming, increase in viscosity, corrosion, fouling as well as environmental issues. Therefore it is very important to develop the most efficient solvent with high thermal and chemical stability. This study investigated thermal degradation of aqueous 30% 2-aminoethylethanolamine (AEEA) using 316 stainless steel cylinders in the presence and absence of CO2 for 4 weeks. The degradation products were identified by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF/MS). The results showed AEEA is stable in the absence of CO2, while in the presence of CO2 AEEA showed to be very unstable and numbers of degradation products were identified. 1-(2-Hydroxyethyl)-2-imidazolidinone (HEIA) was the most abundance degradation product. A possible mechanism for the thermal degradation of AEEA has been developed to explain the formation of degradation products. In addition, the reaction energy of formation of the most abundance degradation product HEIA was calculated using quantum mechanical calculation.

Densities, Excess Molar Volumes, and Thermal Expansion Coefficients of Aqueous Aminoethylethanolamine Solutions at Temperatures from 283.15 to 343.15 K.

The densities of aqueous mixtures of aminoethylethanolamine (CAS #000111-41-1) were measured over the entire compositional range at temperatures of 283.15-343.15 K. The results of these measurements were used to calculate excess molar volumes and isobaric thermal expansion coefficients, and partial molar and apparent molar volumes and excess isobaric thermal expansion coefficients were subsequently derived. The excess molar volumes were correlated as a function of the mole fraction using the Redlich-Kister equation. Temperature dependences of the Redlich-Kister coefficients are also presented. The partial molar volumes at infinite dilution of AEEA in water were determined using two different methods. In addition, the solution density was correlated using a Joubian-Acree model. Aqueous solutions of AEEA exhibit similar properties to the aqueous solutions of other alkanolamines (like monoethanolamine) used in acid gas sweetening.