Performance enhancement of hollow fiber membrane contactors for CO₂ absorption using MEA-based functionalized nanofluids

The performance of hollow fiber membrane contactor for CO₂ removal using MEA-based nanofluid was experimentally evaluated. Different types of nanoparticles, including Al₂O₃, Fe₃O₄, and functionalized MWCNT in this study. The influence of various operating conditions including gas and absorbent flow rates, absorbent concentration, and nanofluid characteristics on separation performance was thoroughly examined. The results showed that compared to conventional amine solvents, the nanofluid absorbents significantly enhance CO₂ absorption performance. In comparison to the base fluid, the mass transfer coefficient was raised by 320, 120, and 40% for 0.15 wt% MWCNT, Al₂O₃ and Fe₂O₃, respectively. The MWCNT showed much more compliance with amine solvents due to its carboxyl functional groups and higher surface area which make it more stable in a strong polar mixture. The study underscores the importance of stability, viscosity, and shear stress of nanofluids as key parameters affecting CO₂ absorption performance.