Technologies
This technology is an optimized method for carbon mineralization that enables carbon sequestration in a single industrial process.
Predictions of global energy usage suggest a continued increase in carbon emissions and rising concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere unless major changes are made to the way energy is produced and used. One proposed method for an immediate reduction in the net amount of CO2 produced is called carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), in which CO2 gas is separated and stored to prevent its release into the atmosphere. Carbon mineralization, a CCS method in which CO2 reacts with a mineral to form thermodynamically-stable carbonates and other solid products, is the only available technique that can provide permanent carbon storage in a single step. However, this method requires high energy consumption that can negate the benefit of the sequestered CO2 and be prohibitively expensive. As such, there is a need for an improved CCS method that can economically capture and sequester CO2 to reduce carbon emissions.
This technology provides an optimized CCS method that employs traditional carbon mineralization steps but with optimized chemical processing protocols that reduce energy consumption and associated costs. Specifically, chelating agents and enzymatic catalysts are utilized to lower energy requirements and to produce a thermodynamically-stable solid product that can be used as an inexpensive filler or construction material. By lowering the economic costs associated with carbon fixation, this technology provides a method that may be applied on an industrial scale to slow and reduce rising CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere.
IR CU12041
Licensing Contact: Richard Nguyen