Researchers have invented an effective carbon-trapping "sponge" that could help increase the use of global warming-fighting technology.
Many of today's methods for chemically trapping carbon dioxide before it reaches our atmosphere encounter problems such as toxicity and corrosiveness, Cornell University reported. These new findings could help us get around some of those roadblocks.
A newly-invented powder was found to perform better than what is seen in most of today's carbon-trapping methods, the most common of which is called amine scrubbing. In this technique carbon dioxide containing flue gas is passed through vats of amino compounds (amines) which then absorb the majority of the greenhouse gas. This excess carbon dioxide is then either sequestered or re-used. The method does work to reduce carbon dioxide release, but is also extremely corrosive.
The recent improvement in this method employs "a silica scaffold, the sorbent support, with nanoscale pores for maximum surface area." The scaffold is dipped into liquid amine, which soaks into the support in a sponge-like fashion before hardens. This method creates a dry white powder that has the ability to capture carbon dioxide even when moisture is present.
Solid amine sorbents have been used in carbon capture in the past, but these lose amine over time, decreasing their effectiveness and making them less cost-efficient. The new supports were grown into the sorbent surface, which caused the amine to chemically bond to the sorbents, making them less likely to degrade over time.
In the future the researchers plan to optimize the sorbent in order for it to move towards being ready for industry use. The researchers noted the method could also have smaller applications, such as for use in greenhouses.
The findings were published in a recent edition of the journal Nature Communications.
