Objective Among carbon dioxide capture technologies, the chemical absorption method is widely adopted due to its high absorption efficiency and stable reaction kinetics, making it the predominant approach for post-combustion CO₂ capture. However, amine-containing solvents are prone to thermal degradation, oxidative degradation, and chemical degradation during circulation, significantly increasing capture costs.

Method This study systematically reviewed the degradation mechanisms of amine-based solvents and recent advancements in anti-degradation agents.

Result The thermal degradation process is primarily influenced by temperature and the amount of CO₂ absorbed, occurring via pathways such as carbamate polymerization and cyclization. Oxidative degradation is triggered by oxygen, while chemical degradation results from impurities like SO₂ and NO_x in flue gas, with metal ions (e.g., Fe²⁺) catalyzing radical chain reactions. Anti-degradation agents include oxidation film inhibitors, metal scavengers, radical scavengers, and oxygen scavengers. In traditional amine-based systems, a 0.1% volume fraction of p-cresol significantly inhibits absorbent degradation and enhances CO₂ absorption capacity. In the mixed amine systems, EDTA and K-series antioxidants demonstrated superior performance. In anhydrous absorbents, acetaldehyde oxime reduced the 30-day degradation rate to 4.00%. Current research still faces challenges including unclear mechanistic understanding, insufficient long-term stability validation, and unassessed environmental compatibility.

Conclusion Future efforts should focus on elucidating multi-mechanism synergistic interactions, developing novel green and efficient anti-degradation agents, and conducting rigorous long-term performance evaluations under practical conditions to support cost reduction and efficiency improvement in CCUS technology.