Invention Reference Number
Flue gas, and other industrial, gaseous waste streams are popular targets for CO2 sequestration technologies since the CO2 concentration is much higher compared to atmospheric concentrations. However, carbon capture from air typically requires the use of large amount of CO2 sorbents (usually aminated solvents) which are toxic and expensive. Because of the expense associated with gaseous CO2 capture, there has been some attention given to CO2 capture from seawater which serves as a natural carbon sink. Most of the research surrounding CO2 sequestration from seawater is electrochemical in nature where the pH is lowered through applied current. This approach has large energetic and financial demands given the expensive membranes, electrodes, and the cost of electricity. Our work here is a passive approach where we are using solid, functionalized materials s to capture without any need for applied current. The materials can be reused after each cycle by flowing a solution over the material. Here, the only electricity required is to power pumps for the seawater and regeneration solution. Our work has the advantage of reduced expense both in power and material cost over currently utilized seawater technologies.
Contact
To learn more about this technology, email partnerships@ornl.gov or call 865-574-1051.
