A new CO2 sorbent was prepared from carbide slag, aluminum nitrate hydrate and glycerol water solution by combustion synthesis method. The effects of the sorbent preparation conditions (glycerol addition, combustion synthesis temperature, ratio of carbide slag to aluminum nitrate hydrate) and carbonation/calcination conditions (temperature, atmosphere and time) on CO2 capture performance of the synthetic sorbent were investigated in the calcium looping cycles. The addition of glycerol during the sorbent preparation exhibits an improvement on the cyclic CO2 capture capacity. It was also found that the optimal combustion synthesis temperature for the synthetic sorbent was in the range of 750-800 degrees C. The synthetic sorbent contained the mass ratio of CaO derived from carbide slag to Al2O3 derived from aluminum nitrate hydrate = 90:10 exhibited higher CO2 capture capacity (038 g CO2/g sorbent after 50 cycles). X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the main compounds of the synthetic sorbent were CaO and Ca(3A)l(2)O(6) by X-ray diffraction analysis. The synthetic sorbent showed higher CO2 capture capacity than the carbide slag under severe calcination conditions (950 degrees C, CO2) and at short carbonation time (<5 min). From the present investigation, it shows that a high active synthetic CO2 sorbent could be obtained using the carbide slag in the calcium looping technology. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.