Carbon Capture and Sequestration

Different Types of Carbon Capture

There are several different approaches to carbon capture and sequestration:

• Artificially converting CO₂ in effluent gasses from industrial processes where concentrations are as much as 20%.
• Artificially converting CO₂ from the air at 415ppm.
• Biochemically converting CO₂ in the air at 415 ppm with reforestation, afforestation, regenerative farming and soil management

Problems with Capturing CO2 from Air

Capturing carbon directly from the air is problematic because the concentration from a processing standpoint is so low, 415ppm. Natural biological processes, photosynthesis and trees are a better way than trying to do it artificially.

Why carbon capture might be an illusion, see “Why Carbon Capture Technology (NETs) Won't Save Us in Time” at:

https://www.joboneforhumanity.org/carbon_capture_won_t_save_us_in_time?gclid=CjwKCAjw8LTmBRBCEiwAbhh-6I_CudnPpAZh71yk6P9Ga2zxCLg9c0sArkHousIPEzIMPFGGAuNxhBoC8l0QAvD_BwE

and see “New carbon dioxide capture technology is not the magic bullet against climate change” at:

https://phys.org/news/2019-04-carbon-dioxide-capture-technology-magic.html

and “Study Casts Doubt on Carbon Capture” at: https://phys.org/news/2019-10-carbon-capture.html

Solar Thermal Electrochemical Photo Process

Perhaps there’s hope yet with the Solar Thermal Electrochemical Photo (STEP) carbon capture

Process (George Washington University, 2010):

https://phys.org/news/2010-07-solar-powered-decrease-carbon-dioxide-pre-industrial.html

Similarly for CO₂ to Carbon Nanotubes emerging technology (George Washington University, 2015)

see:

https://blogs.gwu.edu/slicht/solar-research/

and see:

https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/newsreleases/2015/august/co2.html

Metal Oxide Frameworks

Metal Oxide Frameworks (MOF) can reportedly capture CO₂ directly. From the Chemical Society Reviews see this abstract (April 29, 2019):

[#!divAbstract Carbon capture and conversion using metal–organic frameworks and MOF-based materials]

The full article is available for £42.50. More info from Phys.org (Oct 3, 2019):

New breakthrough in nanotechnology that uses atmospheric carbon to make useful chemicals

The process requires a source of hydrogen gas. There remain lots of questions since this is still an area of research.

Cerium Catalyst Conversion to CO

An electrolysis process using a cerium oxide electrode selectively produces CO without the inconvenience of solid carbon. From phys.org, “New route to carbon-neutral fuels from carbon dioxide discovered”, Sept 16, 2019 at https://phys.org/news/2019-09-route-carbon-neutral-fuels-carbon-dioxide.html.

Electrochemical Processes

The technique, based on passing air through a stack of charged electrochemical plates, is described in a new paper in the journal Energy and Environmental Science, by MIT postdoc Sahag Voskian, who developed the work during his PhD, and T. Alan Hatton, the Ralph Landau Professor of Chemical Engineering and reported at http://news.mit.edu/2019/mit-engineers-develop-new-way-remove-carbon-dioxide-air-1025

For a PBSNewshour discussion on the technology see: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/this-new-battery-aims-to-spark-a-carbon-capture-revolution

While the process (still in the lab) removes CO₂ from the air and can provide a pure stream of CO₂, that CO₂ has to be stored and disposed of.

Zeolite Processes

A “new material is a bio-based hybrid foam infused with a high amount of CO₂-adsorbing 'zeolites," microporous aluminosilicates. This material has been shown to have very promising properties. The porous, open structure of the material gives it a great ability to adsorb the carbon dioxide” from:

https://phys.org/news/2019-12-sustainable-material-carbon-dioxide-capture.html

Polymer Membrane Processes

A polymer membrane that enhances the separation of CO2 in effluent gases is described.

https://scitechdaily.com/a-surprising-substance-may-be-key-in-capturing-co2-in-the-atmosphere/