Solving the Durability Issue of Amine Based Solid Sorbents for Carbon Capture

24 March 2026

Amines used as solid sorbents in Direct Air Capture (DAC) offer clear advantages, but there are challenges around sorbent lifespan and durability that can give rise for concern in conventional DAC systems. However, NEG8 Carbon addresses these challenges through material and system design and have achieved impressive results.

What are Amines?

Amines are organic compounds derived from ammonia, where one or more hydrogen atoms are replaced by alkyl or aryl groups.

Uses of Amines in Industry

These amines are widely used in industry for applications such as gas treatment, pharmaceuticals, chemical synthesis, polymer production and carbon capture.

Amines Based Carbon Capture

In Direct Air Capture, amines are commonly used as a solid sorbent that selectively binds carbon dioxide (CO₂) from ambient air. When air passes over the material, CO₂ reacts with the amine sorbent to form a chemical bond to capture the CO₂. The sorbent is then regenerated using heat and/or pressure changes, releasing CO₂ for storage or use in industrial processes. (See: How Does Direct Air Capture Work?)

Advantages of Using Amines for CO₂ Capture

Amines provide several advantages when used as solid sorbents in DAC systems, particularly their performance in low-concentration capture conditions. Key advantages include:

High selectivity for CO₂, which allows capturing from ambient air where concentrations are ~430 part per million of CO_2.
Lower regeneration temperatures compared to some alternative sorbents, which reduces energy demand when low-grade heat sources are available.
Allows for the design of compact and modular systems.
Reduced corrosion and solvent loss compared to liquid amine systems, leading to lower maintenance requirements.
Potential to use waste heat from industrial processes for regeneration, reducing process costs.

Challenges of Using Amines for CO₂ Capture

However, there are challenges with amine based solid sorbents. The most common one is that the sorbent can degrade over time due to oxidation and thermal cycling, which reduces capture capacity and reduces the sorbent lifespan thus increasing how often it needs to be replaced.

Heat management during regeneration is also a factor, as uneven temperature distribution can reduce efficiency and damage the sorbent structure. These issues need to be addressed through improved process design and sorbent research.

NEG8 Carbon’s Electrostatic DAC Technology Addresses the Challenges of Amine Based Solid Sorbents

The team at NEG8 Carbon have developed unique Electrostatic Direct Air Capture technology that tackles the problem of amine solid sorbent degradation.

In engineering terms, sorbent life is often defined by the number of adsorption–desorption cycles rather than calendar time. However, in traditional DAC systems using amines as a solid sorbent, this translates to a lifespan of a few months to a year. This short lifespan negatively impacts operating costs and project viability due to requirements for frequent sorbent replacement.

On the other hand, using NEG8’s electrostatic technology, no sorbent degradation has been observed in thousands of real world capture cycles indicating sorbent lifespan of 5+ years. This greatly reduces sorbent replacement costs which is game changing for operating costs (OPEX).

This is due to NEG8 using VTSA (Vacuum Temperature Swing Adsorption) technology that regenerates the sorbent at a low 65°C using indirect heat under vacuum in a rapid regeneration time of less than 15 minutes.

Conclusion

NEG8 Carbon’s patented Electrostatic DAC technology deals with the challenges facing incumbent amine based DAC systems by extending the sorbent lifespan and reducing sorbent-related costs.

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