Removing CO2 from air emissions has been a continual problem for years with many different solutions offered. A new low-cost new material that could lead to innovative technologies to tackle global warming has been discovered by scientists at The University of Nottingham. The porous material, named NOTT-300, has the potential to reduce fossil fuel emissions through the cheaper and more efficient capture of polluting gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2). The research, published in the scientific journal Nature Chemistry, demonstrates how the properties of NOTT-300 could provide a greener alternative which is less energy intensive as opposed to several existing solutions to adsorb and remove CO2.
"Removing CO2 from air emissions has been a continual problem for years with many different solutions offered. A new low-cost new material that could lead to innovative technologies to tackle global warming has been discovered by scientists at The University of Nottingham. The porous material, named NOTT-300, has the potential to reduce fossil fuel emissions through the cheaper and more efficient capture of polluting gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2). The research, published in the scientific journal Nature Chemistry, demonstrates how the properties of NOTT-300 could provide a greener alternative which is less energy intensive as opposed to several existing solutions to adsorb and remove CO2.
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Professor Martin Schröder, Dean of the Faculty of Science at The University of Nottingham, led the research. He said: "Our novel material has potential for applications in carbon capture technologies to reduce CO2 emissions and therefore contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere."
"It offers the opportunity for the development of an easy on/easy off capture system that carries fewer economic and environmental penalties than existing technologies. It could also find application in gas separation processes where the removal of CO2 or acidic gases such as SO2 is required."
Professor Schröder said: "The material shows high uptake of CO2 and SO2. In the case of SO2, this is the highest reported for the class of materials to date. It is also selective for these gases, with other gases, such as hydrogen, methane, nitrogen, oxygen, showing no or very little adsorption into the pores."
In addition to high uptake capacity and selectivity, it is also very easy to release the adsorbed gas molecules through simple reduction of pressure. The material has high chemical stability to all common organic solvents and is stable in water and up to temperatures of 400°C.
There are many techniques to remove CO2 from stack gases but none that have been proven commercially viable yet. For example scrubbing with simple lime will create calcium carbonate. Various amine solutions have also been utilized.
For further information see Nott.
Power Plant image via Wikipedia.
