In this work, a biologically catalyzed CO2 mineralization process for the capture of CO2 from point sources was designed, constructed at a laboratory scale, and, using standard chemical process scale-up protocols, was modeled and evaluated at an industrial scale. A yeast display system in Saccharomyces cerevisae was used to screen several carbonic anhydrase isoforms and mineralization peptides for their impact on CO2 hydration, CaCO3 mineralization, and particle settling rate. Enhanced rates for each of these steps in the CaCO3 mineralization process were confirmed using quantitative techniques in lab-scale measurements. The effect of these enhanced rates on the CO2 capture cost in an industrial scale CO2 mineralization process using coal fly ash as the CaO source was evaluated. The model predicts a process using bCA2- yeast and fly ash is ~10% more cost effective per ton of CO2 captured than a process with no biological molecules, a savings not realized by wild-type yeast and high-temperature stable recombinant CA2 alone or in combination. The levelized cost of electricity for a power plant using this process was calculated and scenarios in which this process compares favorably to CO2 capture by MEA absorption process are presented.
A study has been carried out on the possibility of recovery light carboxylic acids (C1-C6) from an acidic waste stream by means of electrodialysis (ED) technique. The starting solution has very low concentration in organic acids and low specific conductivity. The main object of the study is the identification of the critical aspects for a complete electrodeionization of the water in a scheme of water reuse as process water or boiler feed-water. Concentration and recovery of carboxylic acids from wastewater streams can be a sustainable ''green'' alternative to biological degradation and turn into a valuable alternative, the more the higher the possibility of reusing the concentrated organic acid stream. In this work an ED cell was assembled and experiments were performed with acetic acid solution as model trace chemical in water. A real wastewater stream was also treated and results are discussed in term of current efficiency and energy consumption.
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