Turning CO2 into Solid Carbon: A Revolutionary Technology and Its Environmental Impact
Australia’s Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology researchers have experimented using liquid metal catalysts. They wanted to capture carbon dioxide from the air and turn it into a solid for more extended storage. But storage is not the only problem.
We now use carbon capture methods, harming the atmosphere. Our technologies emit fumes, and we also pump liquid gas underground despite leakage risks. Today, we will analyze the potential and benefits of new technology. Will it change the world or be too unprofitable to use?
Methodology and results
The team used liquid metals they melted beforehand to trigger a chemical reaction. They had indium, tin, cerium, and gallium for this, achieving the hardness through the regulated temperature in the flask. The hardening would take a long time, so they also passed electroenergy through the metal. This way, you can repeat the operation endlessly, only byproducting oxygen. It certainly won’t do any harm, right?
Environmental Impact
Let’s start with the most important thing, which directly affects our health and life on the planet. So, this CO2 conversion guarantees:
- Slower global warming. This method does not promise an instant fairy tale, but it is a fact that it reduces the amount of gas in the atmosphere.
- Fixation in sustainable forms. Solid carbon can be used to produce materials such as bricks or concrete. That is, to create sustainable and environmentally friendly building materials.
- Circular economic process promotion. Instead of being perceived as waste, CO2 becomes a secondary raw material for creating new materials.
- Reduced dependence on traditional coal deposits. If everything goes as planned, this will partially reduce the need for coal. It is also likely that less sand or stone will be extracted, reducing the environmental footprint of mining.
- Opportunities for innovation and investment. Developing and implementing such technologies open up opportunities for new research in clean technologies, which we must build.
Even gambling providers joined the awareness campaign due to the critical environmental situation. This is particularly evident in Australia. If you visit the newest casinos that are opening online from the BetPokies list, you will see slot machines about air pollution. One of the people’s favorite topics is nature, as they feel the need to connect with the wild world and the difficulty of doing so in real life.
Potential and Future Technologies
So far, scientists have won a patent from ABR worth 2.6 million Australian dollars. The company is engaged in a joint venture and will try to find even more efficient methods and other technology applications. At this point, it is not entirely clear how else to use the carbon processed in this way; even co-leader Ken Chiang expressed a desire to hear the opinions of other companies, not only those directly involved in CO2 conversion, and to identify new application areas.
According to the International Energy Agency, the construction industry accounts for more than 7% of global carbon dioxide emissions. As these are not expected to decline for many years, it is in their and our interest for them to adopt new methods.
Bottom Line
However, a laboratory flask cannot cut it at the global scale; hence, in the following stages, scholars will increase the vessel size. The project director added, “Climate change won’t be combated on behalf of one solution. However, ABR’s partnership with RMIT will create an environmentally friendly technology to help us reach our zero-emission goals.” In this regard, all we can do is just follow and support a global environmental transformation.
