New device captures carbon dioxide by pumping it across a battery
Source: Arstechnica ·
The design requires less energy to capture CO2 than current systems.
From the source
Equipment to capture carbon dioxide from ambient air or smokestacks generally works through a sort of reversible filter. Air is passed through granules or a liquid that absorbs the CO2, then that CO2-loaded substance undergoes a process (usually heating) that causes it to let go of all that CO2. The resulting gas can be collected in a separated stream. It’s also possible to do a similar sort of operation on a smaller scale—like inside a battery. A new study from a team led by James Buchen of the University of Delaware demonstrates an example of a battery-based electrochemical carbon-capture technique that they say is more viable than previous attempts. It has the potential to require less energy—and therefore be cheaper—than the reversible-filter designs that currently dominate. Carbon chemistry The basic idea behind a device of this type is that hydroxide produced at the battery cathode reacts with CO2, converting it to carbonate or bicarbonate that passes through the separator…