August 30, 2024 13:38

A partnership between research institutes and German companies, funded by the government, is developing a process within the Air2Chem research project to transform carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere into chemical compounds.

The idea is to integrate the direct air capture process, powered by wind energy, with the electrolytic conversion of the "green" carbonate-containing solution into feedstock for the chemical industry, including ethylene and carbon monoxide.

To date, researchers argue, direct capture of CO2 from the air has been limited by high investment and operating costs. The aim of the project “Air2Chem: Paired Electrosynthesis of Basic and Valuable Chemicals via Natural Wind-Driven Direct CO2 Capture from Air Using Membrane Gas Absorption and Carbonate Electrolysis” is to overcome this economic barrier.

Savings are achieved by integrating the two technologies and avoiding the high energy costs for desorption while simplifying the process as a whole. At the same time, electrolysis is integrated with an anodic process, enabling the production of high-value chemicals (such as formaldehyde, lactates, formates, or glycolates) from sustainably available chemicals, further reducing energy requirements.

The researchers aim to develop a technological platform that will be tested on a pilot scale.

© Polimerica -  Reproduction prohibited, all rights reserved