THE ESSENTIALS

Industrial CO₂ emissions remain one of the most persistent challenges in global decarbonisation. Traditional capture systems such as amine scrubbing and calcium looping are established but come with considerable drawbacks: high energy consumption, complex infrastructure and substantial material and waste streams.

Q-LHO nanoparticles, engineered by NANOARC and available in 5 nm, 10 nm and 20 nm sizes, offer an alternative pathway. Their exceptionally high surface area and moderate regeneration temperatures enable high CO₂ uptake with significantly lower material use, minimal waste generation and simplified integration.

For industries prioritising system footprint, operational simplicity and lifecycle sustainability, Q-LHO provides a next-generation solid sorbent solution.

INDUSTRIAL CO₂ CAPTURE: CHALLENGES & REQUIREMENTS

Industrial emitters generally assess capture technologies based on:

• Regeneration energy demand

• Volume and mass of sorbent or solvent required

• Waste generation and environmental impact

• Compatibility with existing plant infrastructure

• Operational complexity and maintenance

Traditional systems often rely on energy-intensive regeneration processes (steam reboilers, calcination furnaces) and large inventories of sorbent or solvent.

NANOARC's Q-LHO avoids these limitations by offering high performance at moderate temperatures with minimal material demand.

Q-LHO : TECHNICAL PROFILE

Specific Surface Area (SSA)

Surface area rises as particle size decreases:

• 5 nm: 596 m²/g

• 10 nm: 298 m²/g

• 20 nm: 149 m²/g

Higher surface area directly improves CO₂ sorption.

CO₂ Uptake Capacity

• 5 nm: 5.88 g CO₂/g

• 10 nm: 2.94 g CO₂/g

• 20 nm: 1.47 g CO₂/g

These values exceed typical solid sorbents on a mass basis.

Material Required per Tonne of CO₂

Comparison with current technologies:

Technology Sorbent Required per tonne of CO₂

Amines

2–5 tonnes of solvent

CaO Looping

2–3 tonnes of solid sorbent

Q-LHO

70–90% reduction in required mass

Reduced material use enables compact equipment and lower lifecycle impacts.

LIFECYCLE SUSTAINABILITY

Energy • Materials • Waste

A full lifecycle assessment shows clear performance advantages:

• Energy: 50–65% lower regeneration energy than amines or CaO looping

• Materials: Up to 90% less sorbent required

• Waste: Very low waste generation over 5,000–10,000 cycles

  • Amines produce continuous hazardous waste

  • CaO looping generates spent sorbent and dust fines

What This Means

Q-LHO supports long-lived, low-waste operation with a substantially reduced environmental footprint—enabling sustainable decarbonisation without extensive resource demands.

CAPEX & OPEX ADVANTAGES

Economic Drivers

• Low CAPEX:
  Compact reactor design with no requirement for high-temperature kilns or complex solvent management.

• Optimised OPEX:
  Although sorbent cost is the major factor, low material requirements reduce system size, handling and maintenance.

COMPARATIVE POSITIONING

• Amines: Lower upfront cost but high operational and environmental burdens.

• CaO looping: Low OPEX but reliant on large, energy-intensive process units.

• NANOARC Q-LHO: A balanced economic profile with strong sustainability credentials.

INTEGRATION INTO INDUSTRIAL CO₂ CAPTURE

Q-LHO is designed for straightforward, modular integration, ideal for industrial sites seeking to incorporate CO₂ capture without major plant modification.

DEPLOYMENT SCENARIOS

A. Cement Plants

Handles high-volume flue gas streams and integrates well with available waste heat.

B. Steel Mills

Resilient to particulate-heavy gases and suitable for modular deployment.

C. Petrochemical Facilities

Compatible with downstream utilisation routes such as methanol and syngas production.

D. Combined Heat & Power Plants

Compact reactor footprint suits constrained industrial settings.

E. Distributed & Mobile Capture

Containerised units enable flexible, transportable capture solutions.

SUMMARY

Q-LHO delivers a significant step forward in industrial CO₂ capture:

• 70–90% reduction in sorbent requirements

• 50–65% lower regeneration energy usage

• Minimal waste over thousands of cycles

• Compact, modular and low-complexity systems

• Moderate operating temperatures compatible with waste heat

Q-LHO offers a highly efficient, sustainable and scalable solution for industries seeking robust decarbonisation with minimal environmental and operational impact.