Novel, Efficient, Low Cost Technology for Direct Air Capture of CO2 and its Removal from Low Concentration Streams

Novel efforts to capture and remove CO2 from the air around us benefit us in many ways, from helping mitigate climate challenges caused by this potent greenhouse gas, to creating innovative manufacturing to use CO2 as a precursor to variety of products, from synthetic fuel to plastics, cement, chemical products and others. Direct Air Capture of CO2, as it is called, is however easier said than done: CO2 concentration in air amounts to only 400 parts per million, or 0.04%, making it difficult and especially costly to capture. This project aims to reduce the CO2 capture cost using a novel concept previously demonstrated successfully in the automotive field. Mathematical models will be constructed to represent CO2 coming in contact with a chemically coated surface capable of attracting and storing CO2, much like a sponge, only to release it when heated. While the concept itself is not entirely new, what is new is our novel engineering concept to speed up the CO2 attraction to the sponge with less energy to reduce the overall CO2 capture cost. If successful, our efforts will help further economize the CO2 capture cost, easing the transformation and cost of carbon capture technologies. Our project outcome can reduce the overall process cost and can accelerate drive to a carbon-capture-based market segment producing the next generation of CO2 -based products.