Engineering news
Scientists and engineers from Chalmers University of Technology and Stockholm University in Sweden developed the material, which reportedly has a high capture rate and low operating costs.
Governments and industry are investing in CCS, which many believe will be a vital tool in the fight against climate change linked to carbon emissions. There is currently no one-size-fits-all solution, however, and the researchers said existing materials and processes are associated with “significant negative side effects and high costs”.
In contrast, they said their new material could offer a sustainable, low-cost alternative with “excellent” selective carbon dioxide-capturing properties. The material is a bio-based hybrid foam infused with a high amount of CO2-adsorbing 'zeolites' – microporous aluminosilicates. The porous, open structure of the material reportedly gives it a great ability to adsorb the carbon dioxide.
“We took zeolites… and combined them with gelatine and cellulose, which have strong mechanical properties,” said Chalmers researcher Walter Rosas Arbelaez. “Together, this makes a durable, lightweight, stable material with a high reusability. Our research has shown that the cellulose does not interfere with the zeolites' ability to adsorb carbon dioxide. The cellulose and zeolites together therefore create an environmentally friendly, affordable material.”
Leading CCS technology currently uses amines, organic compounds derived from ammonia, suspended in a solution. Researchers from the Swedish universities said amines are environmentally unfriendly, however, with larger and heavier volumes required and causing corrosion in pipes and tanks. A lot of energy is also required to separate the captured carbon dioxide from the amine solution for reuse.
The new material avoids these issues, said the researchers.
“In addition to bio-based materials being more environmentally friendly, the material is a solid – once the carbon dioxide has been captured, it is therefore easier and more efficient to separate it than from the liquid amine solutions,” said Chalmers research leader Professor Anders Palmqvist.
Zeolites have been proposed for carbon capture for a long time, but so far the obstacle has been that larger zeolite particles are difficult to work with when processed and used in different applications. The way the zeolite particles have been prepared this time – as smaller particles in a suspension – reportedly means they can be readily incorporated in and supported by the highly porous cellulose foam.
“What surprised us most was that it was possible to fill the foam with such a high proportion of zeolites. When we reached 90% by weight, we realised that we had achieved something exceptional. We see our results as a very interesting piece of the puzzle in the search for a solution to the complex challenge of being able to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere quickly enough to meet climate goals,” said Arbelaez.
The research was published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
Want the best engineering stories delivered straight to your inbox? The Professional Engineering newsletter gives you vital updates on the most cutting-edge engineering and exciting new job opportunities. To sign up, click here.
Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.