CO2 Capture

CO2 Capture

What is CO2 Capture

CO2 capture is a collection of technologies that can minimize CO2 emission generated from manmade sources such as burning fossil fuels before it is released to the atmosphere. Scientists are also considering direct air capture (DAC) where CO2 can be removed from the air using a series of chemical or physical process.

Fossil fuel-related carbon emission, especially in the power plants, takes the main part in overall CO2 emission, and thus two key carbon capture technologies (pre-combustion and post-combustion) are being developed. In addition, various sectors of economy such as agriculture and chemical industry release CO2 to the air significantly, and thus CO2 capture technologies tailored for these areas are also needed.

Why is CO2 Capture important

• Human activities release more CO2 into the air than the natural processes can remove.

  The global average CO2 concentration in the air reaches 419.3 parts per million, that is 50% higher than it was before the industry revolution.

• CO2 is earth’s most important greenhouse gas that absorbs and radiates heat. Adding more CO2 to the air causes global temperature to rise.

  Earth’s average surface temperature in 2023 was 1.36 degrees Celsius warmer since recordkeeping began in 1880. Science evidence shows that human activity is the main cause of CO2 concentration increase and the current climate change.

• World leaders and policymakers are increasing mandating the incorporation of carbon capture technologies into various processes.

  The aim is to tackle climate change that is increasing the risk of extreme weather and rising sea levels, and affects food production, and biodiversity.

Technologies to Capture CO2

• Amine Scrubbing
  Amine scrubbing allows CO2 to be dissolved in amine solutions after the acid-base reaction between the CO2 and the amine. Scientists are designing new amines that require less energy for the solvent regeneration.

• Adsorption using MOFs and COFs
  Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are porous crystalline materials that molecular building blocks are linked into predetermined structures by strong bonds. Ultrahigh porosity of the materials (up to 7000 m² per gram) and strategically designed CO2-binding sites in the pores allow high CO2 adsorption capacity at relatively low pressure. Precise structures of MOFs and COFs are also an ideal platform to integrate with AI technology to develop groundbreaking porous materials.

• Hybrid Materials
  Scientists are also searching for new electrochemistry, membrane technology, and biochemistry to capture CO2 from the flue gas or directly from the air.

Future Directions

Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the process of materials research and development.

With the help of AI, materials with higher CO2 adsorption capacity and selectivity can be quickly targeted. What can AI offer:

• Find the best building units, interaction groups, and structure topology of frameworks for CO2 Capture.
• Design synthetic route of the new material.
• Evaluate the material performance based on various parameters.
• Management of the whole research scheme.
• Hybrid materials that combine the high working capacity of scrubbing method and economic advantage of adsorption materials are desired.
• New chemical engineering design is needed to implement the technology into various sites.

Areas of Impact

Power Plants
Sustainable Agriculture
Oil Refinery