Recent advances in high-gravity process for multiple air pollutant control and CO₂ capture and utilization: theory and practice

Industrial emissions containing sulfur and nitrogen oxides (SOx/NOx), fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present severe environmental and health hazards. Conventional control methods, such as wet scrubbers, are often hindered by large footprints and high resource consumption. This review evaluates high-gravity rotating packed bed (HiGee-RPB) technology as a transformative solution for air purification and CO₂ utilization. By generating centrifugal forces 1–3 orders of magnitude greater than Earth’s gravity, HiGee-RPB intensifies mass transfer, enabling a highly compact and versatile processing platform. Case studies highlight exceptional performance, with removal efficiencies exceeding 99% for H₂S/SO₂ and 90% for PM_2.5, attributed to enhanced droplet filtration and unique flow patterns. Furthermore, NOx removal reaches 80–91% via oxidative absorption, while VOC treatment from sources like cooking fumes shows improvement with specialized oxidants. The review also explores CO₂ emission reduction through amine-based chemical absorption and accelerated mineralization using alkaline wastes. Although challenges regarding long-term stability and accurate computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling remain, HiGee-RPB stands out as a robust avenue for green process intensification. Future research must integrate CFD optimization and machine learning to overcome scale-up hurdles, solidifying HiGee-RPB’s role in sustainable industrial pollution control.