This study investigates microwave irradiation as an alternative to conventional heating for temperature swing adsorption processes. The performance of microwave and conventional heating during sorbent regeneration was evaluated by measuring CO₂ desorption from zeolite 13X at different temperatures. Experimentally, a fixed bed of zeolite 13X was saturated by a 150 sccm flow of 15 % CO₂ at room temperature followed by sorbent regeneration under nitrogen at 55, 100, or 150 °C by applying either microwave irradiation or conventional heating. Microwaves reduced sorbent regeneration times by at least half compared to regeneration by conventional heating. Under conventional regeneration, desorption curves were resolved into two peaks representing physisorbed CO₂ (mass diffusion limited) at low temperature and bicoordinated CO₂ (thermally limited) with increasing temperature. Under microwave regeneration, only one desorption peak was observed suggesting that CO₂ desorption was limited by mass diffusion through the porous zeolite 13X structure, rather than by temperature. Depending on microwave power, apparent activation energy of the microwave-assisted regeneration was 15.8–18.1 kJ/mol, compared to 41.5 kJ/mol for conventional regeneration. The reduction in apparent activation energy is mainly attributed to selective microwave heating of CO₂ adsorption sites (Na⁺ sites) resulting in greater steady state temperatures of Na⁺ relative to framework atoms, suggesting greater heating efficiency due to microwaves compared to conventional heat transfer. Due to rapid cycling and efficient heat transfer to CO₂ sites on zeolite 13X, microwave regeneration is found to increase adsorption/desorption cycling productivity and potentially reduce the energy penalty of temperature swing capture.

这项研究调查了微波辐射作为温度波动吸附过程中传统加热的替代方法。通过测量在不同温度下从13X沸石中解吸的CO _2来评估吸附剂再生期间的微波性能和常规加热性能。实验上，在室温下通过15％CO ₂的150 sccm流量使13X沸石固定床饱和，然后通过施加微波辐射或常规加热在55、100或150°C的氮气环境下进行吸附剂再生。与通过常规加热进行的再生相比，微波将吸附剂的再生时间减少了至少一半。在常规再生下，解吸曲线解析为两个代表物理吸附CO _2的峰（在质量扩散方面受限制）处于低温下，而双配位CO ₂（在温度方面受限制）随温度升高而增加。在微波再生下，仅观察到一个解吸峰，表明CO _2的解吸受到通过多孔沸石13X结构的质量扩散而不是温度的限制。取决于微波功率，微波辅助再生的表观活化能为15.8-18.1 kJ / mol，而常规再生为41.5 kJ / mol。在表观活化能的降低主要归因于CO的选择性微波加热₂吸附位点（钠⁺导致的Na更大稳态温度点）⁺相对于骨架原子，这表明与常规传热相比，由于微波的加热效率更高。由于快速循环和有效的热传递到13X沸石上的CO ₂位置，发现微波再生可提高吸附/解吸循环生产率，并可能减少变温捕获的能量损失。