
CO2-selective polymeric chains anchored on graphene effectively pull CO2 from a flue gas mixture. Credit: KV Agrawal (EPFL)
A major greenhouse gas, CO2 produced from burning fossil fuels is still mostly released into the atmosphere, adding to the burden of global warming.
One way to cut down on it is through a carbon capture: a chemical technique that removes CO2 out of emissions (“postcombustion”), preventing it from entering the atmosphere. The captured CO2 can then be either recycled or stored away in in gas or liquid form, a process known as sequestration.
Carbon capture can be done using so-called “high-performance membranes”, which are polymer filters that can specifically pick out CO2 from a mix of gases, such as those coming out of a factory’s flue. These membranes are environmentally-friendly, they don’t generate waste, they can intensify chemical processes, and can be used in a decentralized fashion. In fact, they are now considered as one of the most energy-efficient routes for reducing CO2 emissions.
Scientists led by Kumar Varoon Agrawal at EPFL Valais Wallis have now developed a new class of high-performance membranes that exceeds post-combustion capture targets by a significant margin. The membranes are based on single-layer-graphene with a selective layer thinner than 20 nm and are highly tunable in terms of chemistry, meaning that that can pave the way for next-generation high-performance membranes for several critical separations.
Current membranes are required to exceed 1000 gas permeation units (GPUs), and have a “CO2/N2 separation factor” above 20 – a measure of their carbon-capturing specificity. The membranes that the EPFL scientists developed show six-fold higher CO2 permeance at 6,180 GPUs with a separation factor of 22.5. The GPUs shot up to 11,790 when the scientists combined optimized graphene porosity, pore size, and functional groups (the chemical groups that actually react with CO2), while other membranes they made showed separation factors up to 57.2.
“Functionalizing CO2-selective polymeric chains on nanoporous graphene allows us to fabricate nanometer-thick yet CO2-selective membranes,” says Agrawal. “This two-dimensional nature of the membrane drastically increases the CO2permeance, making membranes even more attractive for carbon capture. The concept is highly generic, and a number of high-performance gas separations are possible in this way.”
Learn more: Next-gen membranes for carbon capture
The Latest on: Carbon capture
via Google News
The Latest on: Carbon capture
- Chevron (CVX) Invests in San Jose-Based Carbon Capture Start-Upon January 18, 2021 at 6:50 am
Chevron Corporation CVX recently made a Series C investment inBlue Planet Systems Corporation. In addition, it signed a letter of intent with Blue Planet regarding cooperation on pilot projects and ...
- Carbon Capture and Sequestration Market Size, Overview, Segmentation And Geographical Forecast Till 2026| Fortune Business Insightson January 18, 2021 at 1:38 am
The global carbon capture and sequestration market is likely to gain momentum from the increasing initiatives by ...
- Carbon capture is vital to meeting climate goals, scientists tell green criticson January 16, 2021 at 9:47 am
Engineers and geologists have strongly criticised green groups who last week claimed that carbon capture and storage schemes – for reducing fossil fuel emissions – are costly mistakes. The scientists ...
- Too Many Companies Are Banking on Carbon Capture to Reach Net Zeroon January 15, 2021 at 12:37 pm
As governments and companies jostle to show how committed they are to fighting global warming, plans to take carbon dioxide out of the air are becoming a giant loophole — just as experts have warned ...
- Chevron Invests in Carbon Capture Specialist Blue Planet Systemson January 15, 2021 at 11:27 am
Chevron is spending green to go green. The company announced Thursday that it has invested in a funding round conducted by Blue Planet Systems, a maker of products that reduce the ...
- Too many companies banking on carbon capture to reach net zeroon January 15, 2021 at 5:15 am
As governments and companies jostle to show how committed they are to fighting global warming, plans to take carbon dioxide out of the air are becoming a giant loophole — just as experts have warned ...
- Carbon Capture And Storage (Ccs) Market Share 2021 Capacity, Production, Revenue, Growth, Industry Size and Forecast by 2025on January 14, 2021 at 5:21 pm
Top Key Manufacturers in Carbon Capture And Storage (Ccs) Market Report: This report elaborates the market size, characteristics, and market growth factor of the Carbon Capture And Storage (Ccs) ...
- Chevron invests in carbon capture startup Blue Planet Systemson January 14, 2021 at 2:16 pm
U.S. oil major Chevron Corp said on Thursday it has invested in Blue Planet Systems Corp, a startup that manufactures and develops carbon capture technology to reduce carbon footprint.
- Chevron Invests in Carbon Capture and Utilization Startupon January 14, 2021 at 9:36 am
Chevron Technology Ventures’ ongoing investment in carbon capture and utilization technologies supports Chevron’s focus on a diverse portfolio of lower-carbon solutions. In connection with its ...
- Western Australia LNG plant faces calls to shut down until faulty carbon capture system is fixedon January 14, 2021 at 8:39 am
Greenhouse gas emissions from Chevron’s Gorgon LNG facility have increased because the company’s carbon capture system is not working properly, meaning more carbon dioxide is being vented into the ...
via Bing News