{"id":11564,"date":"2017-08-18T14:53:07","date_gmt":"2017-08-18T21:53:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/?p=11564"},"modified":"2017-08-18T14:53:07","modified_gmt":"2017-08-18T21:53:07","slug":"capturing-carbon-and-making-airplanes-from-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/capturing-carbon-and-making-airplanes-from-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Capturing Carbon and Making Airplanes from It"},"content":{"rendered":"

Climate scientists have tracked the growing percentage of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the\u00a0air,\u00a0and noted a\u00a0correlation between that rise and global warming<\/a>.\u00a0 Scientists from Michael Mann to Benjamin Santer have measured the changes in CO2 levels against climate change, with 97 out of 100 climate scientists accepting\u00a0that human activities\u00a0and rises in CO2 (and other greenhouse gases such as methane) are affecting our overall climate.<\/p>\n

Not to start an argument about this matter, this entry looks at a novel method of removing CO2 from the atmosphere and using it to make possible carbon materials that would be used in aerospace and other components.\u00a0 The question of carbon removal usually includes some method of storing it.\u00a0\u00a0Futurism.com has a great overview<\/a>\u00a0(too large to display here) that shows those methods.<\/p>\n

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Molten carbonate, heated by sunlight or coming hot from a smokestack, can form solid carbon, a basis for usable fuels<\/p><\/div>\n

One enterprising group of scientists\u00a0avoids\u00a0the costly and difficult means of carbon storage and instead focuses on retrieving carbon and turning it into carbon wool, a usable fiber that could form future fuselages and wings, or bicycle frames and automobile bodywork.\u00a0 Many researchers, including Dr. Stuart Licht at George Washington University, have\u00a0attempted to convert atmospheric carbon into fuels<\/a>. In fact, Licht\u2019s research lab has worked on many possible ways to deal with carbon and turn it into useful products.\u00a0\u00a0We\u2019ve reported on Dr. Licht\u2019s work before.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Forming solid carbon on an electrode, one of the steps in the STEP process<\/p><\/div>\n

One problematic aspect of making fuel from carbon is putting the carbon back into the atmosphere when combustion takes place.\u00a0 Making carbon-based solid materials is both a way of storing carbon and getting a useful product in the process.<\/p>\n

Dr. Licht\u2019s latest efforts use sunlight to power the\u00a0machinery,\u00a0and make a kind of\u00a0carbon nanotube \u201cwool\u201d that can be crafted into carbon fibers<\/a>.\u00a0 Part of the charm of the process is using naturally-available forces to clean the skies and make a desirable, high-value product worth $100,000 per ton according to Licht.<\/p>\n

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Carbon wool manufacturing is an extension of the STEP process. \u00a0Schematic representation of new synergistic pathways to form a high yield of macroscopic length CNT \u201cwool\u201d by electrolysis in molten carbonate. Middle: Prior C2CNT syntheses were dependent on a zinc coated steel cathode, a pure Ni anode, and a low current pre-electrolysis activation step. An intermediate, new C2CNT electrolysis removes the requirement of a zinc coating leading to the exploration of a variety of new cathode substrates. Right side: The optimized C2CNT pathway utilizes Monel cathodes and Nichrome anodes, molten electrolyte equilibration for 24 h, and the electrolysis is conducted directly without pre-electrolysis activation steps. This pathway produces a high yield of macroscopic length CNT wool. Left side: experimental cell configuration used in these C2CNT experiments.\u00a0 Illustration from the Licht Research Group<\/p><\/div>\n

Compacting CO2 into carbon nanotubes makes for an efficient means of storing the carbon.\u00a0 Licht\u2019s team also found that the means of production can be compact.\u00a0 \u201cThe team calculated that an area equal to only 4% of the Sahara Desert would be sufficient to bring atmospheric CO2\u00a0concentrations back to pre-industrial levels in ten years, and that a wind speed of 1 km per hour would be sufficient to deliver that CO2 to those STEP (solar thermal electrochemical process (STEP) CNT plants\u201d<\/p>\n

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Schematic representation of an ocean-based solar thermal and photovoltaic field to drive both water purification and C2CNT splitting of CO2<\/sub>\u00a0to useful products. Johnson\u00a0et al.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Placed in a salt-water setting, as shown in the illustration, the STEP system would split CO2 into useful products and purify the water.\u00a0 The multiple outcomes for this process would make it a welcome addition to sunny coastal areas all over the earth. \u00a0This promising technology should hearten anyone looking forward to clearer skies and cleaner water – as well as an inexpensive source of high-tech building materials.<\/p>\n