A porous phenolic resin sorbent for enhanced CO₂ capture: Synthesis, optimization, and techno-economic analysis

Amidst rising global concerns about climate change, the capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from industrial emissions is becoming increasingly critical. In the present study, a phenolic resin-based porous polymer for CO₂ capture is developed, offering a solution to the dual challenges of efficacy and cost in current carbon capture technologies. Optimization of synthesis parameters, including temperature, reaction time, and catalyst amount was performed using response surface methodology (RSM) to maximize surface area and economic benefits. The optimized polymer demonstrated a substantial CO₂ adsorption capacity of 3.06 mmol/g at 273 K and 1 bar, with a specific surface area of 860 m²/g. An early-stage techno-economic analysis of sorbent synthesis was conducted, relating cost to sorbent quality and surface area. It was found that producing the polymer at low temperatures is more cost-effective, while synthesis at higher temperatures offers operational advantages. This research addresses a gap in existing literature by focusing on the sorbent material and its economic viability, paving the way toward the commercialization of such adsorption technology.