Aliphatic polyamines easily absorb acidic gases but unfortunately are not s
uitable for industrial application because their solutions are difficult; t
o regenerate. Molecular modification is of primary importance to reduce the
ir basicity and to allow their use in acid gas recovery processes. Various
modified polyamines were prepared by reacting tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA)
with formaldehyde and formaldehyde/phenol in various molar ratios. The phy
sical and chemical characterization of the synthesized products showed a ge
neral reduction of basicity; the modification of TEPA with formaldehyde and
phenol gave products with high CO2 absorption capacity and easier regenera
tion; moreover, the heat of reaction during CO2 absorption was reduced. The
selected compound had a TEPA/CH2O/C6H5OH ratio equal to 1/0.5/0.4. This ne
w product showed higher cyclic capacity, higher absorption rate, and lower
degradation compared with diethanolamine under the same experimental condit
ions. The product is stable, constant in composition, and suitable for indu
strial scale-up.