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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsNew Material Can Scrub Carbon Dioxide Right Out of the Air at Unprecedented Rates
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-01/new-material-can-pull-carbon-dioxide-right-out-air-unprecedented-ratesIf cleaning carbon dioxide from the atmosphere was easy, wed already be doing it. But carbon capture has proven to be a tough technology to feasibly roll out on a grand scale, and that means all the things we do that produce carbon dioxide emissions--which seems to be just about everything these days--are still roughly as bad for the planet as they were several years ago. Thats a problem in a warming world, and one that a team of researchers may have just found a solution for via an inexpensive polymeric material.
Reporting their findings in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, the team (which includes a Nobel laureate in chemistry) descirbes a new solid material based on polyethylenimine that can be used to capture carbon dioxide at the source--be that an industrial smokestack or a cars exhaust pipe--under real-world conditions where the air contains moisture.
That last part is important. Previous methods of scrubbing CO2 from the air have enjoyed varying degrees of success (usually under controlled conditions), but none has been particularly effective in the presence of humidity. The new material, which is inexpensive and readily available, has shown some of the highest carbon dioxide removal rates of any material ever tested in the presence of humidity.
Its also reusable. After capturing carbon, the material also gives it up easily so it can be sequestered or recycled through the manufacture of other substances. The polyethylenimine material can then also be reused over and over again to capture more carbon dioxide. Used to line smokestacks or even out in the open atmosphere, the material could blunt the impact of all of those things we humans do that are contributing to the carbon glut in the atmosphere.
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New Material Can Scrub Carbon Dioxide Right Out of the Air at Unprecedented Rates (Original Post)
TalkingDog
Jan 2012
OP
hope its not like dispersals used in oil spills - a cure as bad or worse than the disease. nt
arely staircase
Jan 2012
#5
BlancheSplanchnik
(20,219 posts)1. that sounds pretty exciting
what are the chances of it making the leap into actual use? I hope it doesn't threaten the Biggies (Big Oil, Big Pharma, Big Insurance) in some way......
FreakinDJ
(17,644 posts)3. Almost sounds too good to be true
remember cold fusion
roguevalley
(40,656 posts)9. I pray to God this works.
Louisiana1976
(3,962 posts)2. It's an idea whose time has come.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,368 posts)4. See Env/Energy thread:
arely staircase
(12,482 posts)5. hope its not like dispersals used in oil spills - a cure as bad or worse than the disease. nt
Odin2005
(53,521 posts)6. This is HUGE!!!
Scuba
(53,475 posts)7. Hurry. n/t
DCBob
(24,689 posts)8. This sounds very promising..
Lets hope its development is fast tracked. We need it now.
ddeclue
(16,733 posts)10. also would have manned space applications...nt