CO2 desorption via microwave heating for post-combustion carbon capture

In this work, a comparison of CO2 desorption rates of microporous activated carbon (AC) using Microwave Swing Desorption (MSD) and Temperature Swing Desorption (TSD) is reported. For the purposes of this study, a modified microwave oven and a conventional oven were used, heating the AC packed bed to two different temperatures (70 °C and 130 °C). Results showed that microwaves are able to enhance the rate of CO2 desorption from the AC, contributing to a four times faster overall desorption process, compared to conventional heating desorption.