Reactor, plant and process

A reactor for volatilizing carbon dioxide from a liquid absorbent rich in carbon dioxide, the reactor including:

• i) a side wall constructed from materials that include concrete or structural ceramics, the side wall defining a chamber having upper and lower sections and an intermediate section therebetween, the intermediate section containing a substrate that provides an interface to facilitate the separation of carbon dioxide from the liquid absorbent;
• ii) one or more upper inlets in the upper section supplying liquid absorbent rich in carbon dioxide into the upper section;
• iii) multiple lower outlets in the lower section discharging the liquid absorbent lean in carbon dioxide from the lower section;
• iv) one or more upper outlets in the upper section discharging a gas product rich in carbon dioxide;
• and
• v) multiple tubes located in the lower section through which a hot medium passes and thereby heats the liquid absorbent in the lower section.

A process of scrubbing carbon dioxide from a gas stream, the process including the steps of:

• a) conveying in the range of 1,000 to 4,000 t/hr of gas containing carbon dioxide through a single absorber reactor in which the gas stream contacts a liquid absorbent so as to transfer carbon dioxide to the liquid absorbent;
• b) discharging liquid absorbent rich in carbon dioxide from the absorber reactor and feeding the rich liquid absorbent to at least one stripper reactor;
• c) volatilising carbon dioxide from the liquid absorbent in the stripper(s);
• and
• d) discharging liquid absorbent lean in carbon dioxide from the stripper and recycling the lean liquid absorbent back to the absorber reactor.