Scientists from ExxonMobil, the universities of California, Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have discovered a material that could capture more than 90% of CO 2 emitted from industrial sources, such as natural gas-fired power...
Scientists from ExxonMobil, the universities of California, Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have discovered a material that could capture more than 90% of CO2 emitted from industrial sources, such as natural gas-fired power plants, using low-temperature steam and requiring less energy for the overall carbon capture process.
Laboratory tests indicate the patent-pending materials, known as tetraamine-functionalized metal organic frameworks, capture carbon dioxide emissions up to six times more effectively than conventional amine-based carbon capture technology. Using less energy to capture and remove carbon, the material has the potential to reduce the cost of the technology and eventually support commercial applications.
By manipulating the structure of the metal organic framework material, the team of scientists and students demonstrated the ability to condense a surface area the size of a football field, into just one gram of mass that acts as a sponge for CO2.
‘This innovative hybrid porous material has so far proven to be more effective, requires less heating and cooling, and captures more CO2 than current materials,’ said Vijay Swarup, vice-president of research and development at ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company.
ExxonMobil’s team, led by senior research associate Simon Weston, along with UC Berkeley’s professor Jeffrey Long have been working collaboratively for eight years to develop this potential carbon capture solution that demonstrates stability in the presence of water vapor, without oxidation, allowing carbon dioxide to be captured from various sources, under a number of conditions.
