Glossary - Introduction to Carbon Capture and Sequestration - page 559

Hysteresis

The observation that the state of a system not only depends on its cur-
rent condition but also on its history. Here, we look into the hysteresis in
the permeability and saturation of CO 2 in the rocks.

Ideal separation factor

The maximum separation that can be achieved. For a binary mixture, this
factor is defi ned as:

x / x

CO , P N , P

2 2

α =

CO ,N

22

x / x

CO , R N , R

2 2

IGCC

See integrated gasifi cation combined cycle.

Imbibition

The displacement of one fl uid by another; here we mainly use it to dis-
place CO 2 by water.

Inorganic carbon cycle

Part of the carbon cycle that does not involve photosynthesis but weath-
ering and volcanos.

Integrated gasifi cation combined cycle

The integrated gasifi cation combined cycle (IGCC) process relies on the
conversion of coal into syngas. Syngas is a mixture of CO and H 2 , and is
formed by partially oxidizing coal in a coal gasifi er. A water gas shift reac-
tor, which converts water and carbon monoxide into hydrogen and car-
bon dioxide, is used to increase the amount of hydrogen in the mixture.
Before the fuel goes into the burner, the CO 2 is separated from the H 2 ,
and the H 2 is subsequently burned to produce the heat for generating the
steam. In the IGCC process, the CO 2 separation involves a mixture of
hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide at high pressure.