Researchers from Australia, France and China have found a way to turn carbon dioxide (CO2) from dirty factory emissions directly into fuel without first cleaning or purifying the gas.
The study, published in Nature Communications, overcomes one of the greatest challenges facing carbon capture technologies: the complex mix of gases found in industrial flue – a major source of global CO2 emissions, according to a statement released by Australia’s Adelaide University on Monday.
Special organic liquid
The team, led by Adelaide University and the University of Montpellier in France, developed a system that uses a special organic liquid to efficiently convert CO2 from industrial emissions into carbon monoxide (CO), a key building block for producing fuels and chemicals, the statement said.
Read more:
France, Spain battle wildfires as heat and drought fuel blazes across south-western Europe
Middle East war keeps Sasol ORYX gas-to-liquid plant shut
Industrial flue gases contain only small amounts of CO2 alongside large quantities of nitrogen and oxygen, impurities that reduce conversion efficiency, researchers said, adding most existing carbon capture technologies require CO2 to be separated and purified before it can be converted into useful products, making the process both costly and energy intensive.
Organic solvent mixture that weakens hydrogen bonding
Adelaide University Chemical Engineering Dean, Professor Jiao Yan, said the team has developed an organic solvent mixture that weakens hydrogen bonding, suppressing unwanted side reactions while promoting CO2 conversion, allowing CO2 to be used “directly from industrial exhaust streams without extensive purification.”
In tests using simulated flue gas containing 15% CO2 and 8% oxygen, the system achieved nearly 100% conversion selectivity to CO and operated continuously for more than 100 hours while maintaining high performance.
When coupled with a high-efficiency solar cell, the system reached a solar-to-fuel efficiency of about 5.5%, comparable to systems using purified CO2, the researchers said, adding the approach could support cleaner production in emissions-intensive industries, including steel, alumina refining, cement, chemicals and energy production.
- Researchers from Australia, France, and China developed a method to convert CO2 from industrial emissions directly into fuel without purification.
- The system uses a special organic liquid to convert CO2 into carbon monoxide (CO), a key fuel and chemical building block.
- The organic solvent mixture reduces hydrogen bonding, suppressing side reactions and allowing direct use of CO2 from flue gases.
- Tests showed nearly 100% CO conversion selectivity and continuous operation for over 100 hours with simulated flue gas.
- When combined with high-efficiency solar cells, the system achieved a 5.5% solar-to-fuel efficiency, supporting cleaner production in heavy industries.
Researchers from Australia, France and China have found a way to turn carbon dioxide (CO2) from dirty factory emissions directly into fuel without first cleaning or purifying the gas.
Read more:
France, Spain battle wildfires as heat and drought fuel blazes across south-western Europe
Adelaide University Chemical
In tests using simulated flue gas containing 15% CO2 and 8% oxygen, the system achieved nearly 100% conversion selectivity to CO and operated continuously for more than 100 hours while maintaining high performance.
When coupled with a high-efficiency solar cell, the system reached a solar-to-fuel efficiency of about 5.5%, comparable to systems using purified CO2, the researchers said, adding the approach could support cleaner production in emissions-intensive industries, including steel, alumina refining, cement, chemicals and energy production.
