A new material boosts industrial carbon capture

The nanocarbon composite has shown promising results during tests

Spotted: According to some estimates, around 30 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions can be attributed to industry, either through the sector’s energy usage or directly from industrial processes. Switching to green power isn’t yet feasible for a lot of these high-energy processes, but one way we can decarbonise industry is through carbon capture.  

For instance, scientists at Chiba University in Japan have developed a nanocomposite material, which can be applied to thermal power plants, cement, and oil refineries to capture CO2 emissions directly at the source. To do this, the team – including Professor Hirofumi Kanoh and Bo Zhang – synthesised a hybrid CO2 capture material consisting of sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) wrapped with porous nanocarbon.

Sodium carbonate has previously shown promising carbon-capturing abilities, but using this compound directly for carbon capture would often result in crystal agglomeration, which compromises its long-term effectiveness.

To overcome this, the researchers used a porous nanocarbon skeleton around the Na2CO3 to stabilise the material and prevent the corrosion that occurs with the liquid adsorbents that are currently used. When testing the material at relatively low industrial temperatures (80 degrees Celsius), the researchers found that the nanocomposite material could be regenerated and used for 10 cycles, while still maintaining over 95 per cent of its initial carbon-capturing ability.

Written By: Jessica Wallis and Matilda Cox