Thesis of Sadain Zafar

Defense of thesis Sadain Zafar - laboratory PhLAM

CO₂ hydrates as an alternative solution to water desalination and greenhouse gas mitigation

Abstract :

The release of substantial amounts of CO₂ into the atmosphere, particularly through flue-gas emissions, is not environmentally sustainable and requires reduction due to its profound impact on global warming. In the meantime, the shortage of potable water is a significant challenge that may worsen in the coming years and requires immediate attention. According to the 2023 UN World Water Development Report, approximately two to three billion people worldwide are affected by water scarcity. Hydrate-based distillation (HBD) technology is one of the potential approaches that offers a promising solution for tackling both CO₂ emissions and potable water scarcity. It effectively removes salt ions and captures CO₂ simultaneously. The objective of this study is to enhance hydrate growth with the aim of improving water recovery and CO₂ capture parameters.A unique high-pressure capillary set-up is coupled to a micro-Raman spectroscope to investigate the formation of hydrates in 0.0, 3.5, 7.0, 10.5, and 15 wt.% NaCl solutions at constant pressure. Raman spectroscopy is found to be a sensitive tool for analyzing hydrate formation in salt solutions by probing the OH-stretching band and CO₂ vibration modes as function of thermodynamic and kinetic parameters.