Climate Insider Brief:
- Researchers from the University of Cambridge have developed a low-cost, energy-efficient technique for capturing CO2 directly from the air using activated charcoal enhanced with ions, inspired by battery charging technology.
- The charged charcoal can capture CO2 at much lower temperatures (90-100°C) compared to traditional methods (up to 900°C), making the process faster, less energy-intensive, and feasible with renewable electricity.
- While this method promises significant improvements over existing technologies, the researchers are working to enhance its CO2 capture capacity, especially in humid conditions, and are exploring other applications for the material.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge have unveiled a groundbreaking, low-cost, and energy-efficient method for capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) directly from the air. This innovative approach leverages technology similar to that used in charging batteries to enhance the capabilities of activated charcoal, commonly found in household water filters.
The research team, led by Dr. Alexander Forse from the Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, has discovered that by charging activated charcoal with ions that form reversible bonds with CO2, the material can effectively capture CO2 from the atmosphere. This novel method promises significant improvements over existing carbon capture technologies, which are often expensive, energy-intensive, and unstable.
Activated charcoal, known for its stability and affordability, typically cannot capture CO2 from the air. However, the Cambridge researchers hypothesized that charging the charcoal with chemical compounds called hydroxides could enable it to capture CO2. In a process akin to charging a battery, the team charged an inexpensive activated charcoal cloth with hydroxide ions. These ions accumulated in the tiny pores of the charcoal, enabling it to bond with CO2.
Tests of the charged charcoal sponge demonstrated its ability to successfully capture CO2 directly from the air, thanks to the bonding mechanism of the hydroxides. Notably, this method is potentially more energy-efficient than current approaches, as it requires much lower temperatures to release the captured CO2 for storage. While traditional materials used for CO2 capture need to be heated to temperatures as high as 900°C, often using natural gas, the charged charcoal sponges developed by the Cambridge team only require heating to 90-100°C. This lower temperature can be achieved using renewable electricity, making the process faster and less energy-intensive.
“Capturing carbon emissions from the atmosphere is a last resort, but given the scale of the climate emergency, it’s something we need to investigate,” said Dr. Forse. “The first and most urgent thing we’ve got to do is reduce carbon emissions worldwide, but greenhouse gas removal is also thought to be necessary to achieve net zero emissions and limit the worst effects of climate change. Realistically, we’ve got to do everything we can.”
Direct air capture, a method using sponge-like materials to remove CO2 from the atmosphere, is a promising but currently costly and inefficient approach. By exploring the use of activated charcoal, Forse and his team aim to make carbon capture more affordable and scalable. This new method could significantly reduce the energy demands of CO2 capture, potentially transforming the field.
However, the materials do have limitations. The researchers are now working to increase the amount of CO2 that can be captured, particularly under humid conditions where performance decreases. Despite these challenges, the potential applications of this method extend beyond carbon capture. The pores in the charcoal and the ions inserted into them can be fine-tuned to capture a range of molecules, opening doors to various other applications.
“This approach was a kind of crazy idea we came up with during the Covid-19 lockdowns, so it’s always exciting when these ideas actually work,” said Forse. “This approach opens a door to making all kinds of materials for different applications, in a way that’s simple and energy-efficient.”
The promising results of this research have been published in the journal Nature. A patent has been filed, and the research is being commercialized with the support of Cambridge Enterprise, the University’s commercialisation arm. The project has received funding from the Leverhulme Trust, the Royal Society, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and the Cambridge Centre for Climate Repair.
This innovative method represents a significant step forward in the fight against climate change, offering a more sustainable and practical solution for carbon capture directly from the atmosphere.
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SOURCE: EurekAlert
Featured Image: Credit: University of Cambridge
