Conference abstract – GHGT-17: “CESAR1 solvent degradation in pilot and laboratory scale”

A chemical mixture called CESAR1 is being widely studied as a solvent to capture carbon dioxide (CO₂) from industrial emissions (like power plants). CESAR1 is made up of two chemicals: AMP (2-amino-2-methyl propanol) and PZ (piperazine). It’s more stable and degrades less over time compared to another common solvent called MEA (monoethanolamine), even when exposed to heat, oxygen, and the tough conditions of CO₂ capture plants.

However, to safely use CESAR1 on a large scale, scientists need to fully understand how it breaks down (degrades) over time. Even though it degrades less than other solvents, some of the resulting breakdown products could impact the environment, plant safety, or nearby communities.

In this work, researchers are closely studying how and why CESAR1 degrades under realistic industrial conditions. By running experiments under heat and oxygen exposure, they are comparing lab results with real-world samples taken from CO₂ capture plants.

Recent research has already identified and measured over 30 specific CESAR1 degradation products—these include compounds like acetone and formaldehyde, which are chemicals that can form as the solvent breaks down. The research also measures the amounts of the two main solvent components, AMP and PZ, in used CESAR1 samples. A special test called total nitrogen (TN) analysis is also used to make sure no nitrogen-based compounds are missed in the breakdown process.