Carbon Capture Porosimetry Solutions

$8.2B

CCUS Market 2026

400ppm

Direct Air Capture Target

15+

mmol/g CO₂ Capacity

1000+

Cycle Stability Target

Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs)

Ultrahigh surface area materials with tunable pore chemistry for selective CO₂ capture

High-Capacity MOFs

MOF-177, MOF-210, NU-1500

BET surface area: 4000-7000 m²/g
Pore volume: 1.5-4.0 cm³/g
CO₂ uptake (25°C, 1 bar): 8-15 mmol/g
Working capacity: 4-8 mmol/g

2026 Insight: Water-stable MOFs now achieve >5000 cycles with <10% capacity loss.

Key Measurements

BET surface area (N₂ at 77 K or Ar at 87 K)
Micropore volume by t-plot or αs-plot
CO₂ adsorption isotherms (0-1 bar)
Pore size distribution via NLDFT/GCMC

Selective MOFs

Mg-MOF-74, SIFSIX, UTSA-16

Surface area: 800-1800 m²/g
Pore aperture: 0.5-1.2 nm
CO₂/N₂ selectivity: 50-300
Isosteric heat: 25-50 kJ/mol

Selectivity Enhancement: Open metal sites provide 3× higher CO₂ affinity vs non-functionalized MOFs.

Critical Parameters

Framework stability via XRD and cycling
Moisture tolerance testing
Breakthrough curve analysis
Regeneration energy requirements

Zeolites & Amine Sorbents

Zeolite 13X & 5A

Surface area 600-900 m²/g

Pore size 0.5-0.8 nm

CO₂ capacity 4-6 mmol/g

Regeneration TSA, 100-150°C

Stability >10,000 cycles

Industry standard for PSA applications

Amine-Functionalized

Support SA 200-800 m²/g

Amine loading 30-60 wt%

CO₂ capacity 2-4 mmol/g

Selectivity Very high

DAC suitable Yes (400 ppm)

Optimal for dilute CO₂ capture from air

Activated Carbons

Surface area 1000-3500 m²/g

Micropore vol 0.3-1.2 cm³/g

CO₂ capacity 3-8 mmol/g

Cost Low

Application Pre-combustion

Cost-effective for high-pressure applications

Performance Optimization Strategies

Pore Size Engineering

Optimize pore dimensions for enhanced CO₂ diffusion and capacity under operational conditions.

Micropores (<2 nm): Maximum capacity at 1 bar
Narrow PSD (0.5-0.8 nm): Enhanced selectivity
Hierarchical pores: Improved mass transfer
Pore volume >0.5 cm³/g for working capacity

Target: 0.6-0.7 nm optimal for CO₂ at 1 bar

Surface Functionalization

Chemical modifications enhance CO₂ binding affinity and selectivity over N₂ and H₂O.

Amine grafting: 2-4 mmol/g capacity gain
Basic site introduction: Enhanced affinity
Hydrophobic coatings: Moisture resistance
Optimal loading: 40-50% functionality retention

Result: 5-10× selectivity improvement

Cycling Stability

Evaluate long-term performance through accelerated aging and cyclic adsorption testing.

Capacity retention: >90% after 1000 cycles
Framework stability monitoring via XRD
Moisture exposure protocols
Thermal regeneration effects on porosity

Benchmark: 5+ year operational lifetime

Process Integration

Material characterization guides reactor design and process optimization for industrial scale.

Breakthrough modeling from isotherms
Pellet/monolith macroporosity optimization
Heat management via thermal conductivity
Pressure drop minimization

Goal: <$50/tonne CO₂ capture cost

Recommended Testing Protocols

Material Type	Primary Method	Key Parameters	Conditions
MOFs (fresh)	N₂ at 77 K or Ar at 87 K	BET SA, pore volume, PSD	Activation critical
Zeolites	N₂ adsorption	Micropore volume, SA	Degas 300-400°C
Amine sorbents	N₂ + TGA	SA, amine loading, stability	Moisture effects
Activated carbon	N₂ at 77 K	SA, micro/meso volume	NLDFT analysis
CO₂ capacity	CO₂ isotherms (0-1 bar)	Uptake at 0.15, 1 bar	25-75°C range
Used/cycled	Comparative BET + XRD	Capacity loss, degradation	Post-regeneration

Industry Case Studies

Climeworks Direct Air Capture

Challenge: Capture CO₂ from 400 ppm atmospheric concentration economically

Solution: Amine-functionalized cellulose with optimized pore architecture

Capacity: 1.8 mmol/g at 400 ppm
Regeneration: 95°C low-grade heat
10,000+ cycles demonstrated

Achievement: $600/tonne CO₂ (2026 cost)

Power Plant Post-Combustion

Challenge: Scale MOF-based CO₂ capture to 500 MW coal plant

Solution: Water-stable Zr-MOF (UiO-66-NH₂) with hierarchical structuring

90% CO₂ capture efficiency
Surface area: 1200 m²/g maintained
3-year continuous operation verified

Impact: 1.5 Mt CO₂/year captured

Cement Kiln Retrofit

Challenge: Capture CO₂ from high-temperature (350°C) exhaust stream

Solution: Alkali-promoted hydrotalcite with optimized basicity and porosity

Capacity: 4.2 mmol/g at 350°C
Regeneration: 450°C (process heat)
80% capture rate achieved

Result: Carbon-neutral cement pathway

Advance Your Carbon Capture Technology

Expert characterization for climate tech development and optimization

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Carbon Capture Materials