Researchers use 'acid bubbles' in game-changing method to create valuable materials: 'This is a major finding'
While you likely hear about carbon dioxide in a negative way, it can be turned into useful things. And although the process isn't efficient, a team of researchers may have discovered a better way.
According to Tech Xplore, carbon dioxide can be turned into alcohols, ethylene, or carbon monoxide using a method called electrochemical CO2 reduction, using electricity — preferably from renewable sources. It "can be further refined into fuels or used in industrial processes, potentially turning a major pollutant into a feedstock."
Unfortunately, the process creates potassium bicarbonate salts, which clog up the gas flow channels.
A team of researchers at Rice University has discovered that using acid-humidified CO2 instead of water is much more efficient.
Tech Xplore wrote: "In tests using a silver catalyst — a common benchmark for converting CO2 to carbon monoxide — the system operated stably for over 2,000 hours in a lab-scale device and more than 4,500 hours in a 100-square-centimeter, scaled-up electrolyzer."
In comparison, water-humidified CO2 failed after 80 hours due to salt buildup.
Co-first author and Rice chemical and biomolecular engineering graduate student Ahmad Elgazzar said: "This is a major finding for CO2 electrolysis."
The study was published in Science.
Given that the planet has more carbon dioxide than nature can absorb, finding a way to turn the harmful gas into something useful is a great way to get rid of the excess gas. Carbon dioxide is one of the poisonous gases that are produced by dirty energy sources. These toxic gases contribute to the planet's warming, which is causing extreme weather events that also threaten the world's food crops.
One way to combat poisonous gases is for society to reduce its reliance on dirty energy sources so that less toxic gas is released into the atmosphere.
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In the meantime, projects like electrochemical CO2 reduction using acid bubbles are one way to help eliminate the toxic gas, and you can donate to climate causes that are doing this vital work.
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