Carbon capture tech instantly converts CO2 to solid carbon

Researchers at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia claim to have developed new carbon capture tech that takes carbon dioxide gas and converts it into pure carbon which could see use in helping decarbonise heavy industry.

The new tech can be seamlessly integrated with existing infrastructure and could help bring down emissions in hard-to-decarbonise sectors such as cement and steel, which are not only energy-intensive but also heavy emitters, according to the research published in the Energy & Environmental Science journal.

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Like with all similar tech, the captured CO2 can then be safely stored, effectively keeping it out of the atmosphere - however, it is stored in solid form rather than the conventional liquid form. This could be a useful process should removing emissions from an industrial sector should other options not be available, or it should at least aid in the transition away from more carbon-intensive operations.

As of 2020, these heavy industries - cement and steel - currently account for around 7% of global emissions, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

The captured carbon can then safely be stored, turned into other products or reused in processes such as making cement.

The project employs similar chemistry techniques involved in other carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects, also known as the "bubble column" method which involves liquid metal being heated to around 100-120°C before the CO2 is "injected" into it, resulting in the solution bubbling and separating into solid carbon.

Co-lead researcher Associate Professor Torben Daeneke said the work built on an earlier experimental approach that used liquid metals as a catalyst.

“Our new method still harnesses the power of liquid metals but the design has been modified for smoother integration into standard industrial processes,” Daeneke said.

“As well as being simpler to scale up, the new tech is radically more efficient and can break down CO2 to carbon in an instant.

“We hope this could be a significant new tool in the push towards decarbonisation, to help industries and governments deliver on their climate commitments and bring us radically closer to net zero.”

This is not the first time tech like this has been developed, but the team claims this new discovery is more efficient than the other variants of this type of carbon capture technology.

Since its discovery, a provisional patent has been signed, and the team also secured an AU$2.6 million (€1.64 million) deal with Aussie company ABR which could potentially see the tech scaled up for industrial use.

The team were keen to mark the various difficulties other companies were having in the more difficult-to-abate sectors and tackle those challenges directly.

Dr Ken Chiang, the report's other co-lead author, said this feedback was also used to identify other potential applications for the technology.

“To accelerate the sustainable industrial revolution and the zero-carbon economy, we need smart technical solutions and effective research-industry collaborations", she added.

Most current forms of CCS tech involve sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and burying it underground in liquid form. Many forms of the tech are too rudimentary to deal with carbon challenges on an industrial scale, and there has been criticism that it is too expensive, too energy-intensive and not efficient enough for widespread use.

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The team's next stage will be scaling up the tech to around the size of a shipping container as part of its collaboration with ABR. The company is currently planning on using the tech to reduce active carbon emissions in the creation of "next-generation" cement blends.

The RMIT team are also considering running tests into using the captured carbon in the construction of other construction materials, such as bricks.

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