Kinetics of the reaction of carbon dioxide with aqueous sodium and potassium carbonate solutions

• Published in: Chemical engineering science Vol. 65; no. 23; pp. 6077 - 6088
• Main Authors: Knuutila, Hanna, Juliussen, Olav, Svendsen, Hallvard F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Absorption, stripping; Activities; Applied sciences; Carbon dioxide; Carbonate solutions; Chemical engineering; CO 2 absorption; Discs; Exact sciences and technology; Henry law; Infinite dilution; Kinetic constant; Mathematical analysis; Potassium carbonate; Rate expression; Reaction kinetics; Sodium; CO 2 absorption; Activities; Rate expression; Kinetic constant; Infinite dilution; Carbonate solutions; Gas absorption; Second order; absorption; Carbon dioxide; Reaction rate; CO; First order; Kinetics
• ISSN: 0009-2509; 1873-4405
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2010.07.018

Kinetics for CO 2 absorption into 5–30 wt-% sodium carbonate solutions and 5–50 wt-% potassium carbonate solutions up to 70 °C were studied in a string of discs apparatus under conditions, in which the reaction of CO 2 could be assumed pseudo-first-order. The experimental data were evaluated based on the use of activities in the reaction rate expressions. The second order kinetic constant for the CO 2 reaction CO 2+OH −↔HCO 3 − at infinite dilution is discussed and an expression for it is obtained up to 70 °C. The difference between the activity and concentration based kinetic constants were found to be small at low concentrations, where the apparent Henry’s law constant is close to that at infinite dilution in water. However, at high concentrations (high apparent Henry’s law constants), the difference was bigger. Using the activity based approach, the second order kinetic constant was calculated, compared to the second order kinetic constant in infinite dilution and found to be independent of both carbonate concentration and the cation present in the solution.