Technology Title

Developing Optimum Carbon Dioxide Capture Nanomaterials via anion doping of MgO-Mg(OH)2 at room temperature

Technology Overview

Persistent atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases have now become a global issue, as they have a wide range of direct andindirect consequences on all living things on the planet. The most well-known result of this phenomenon is global warming, caused mainly by growing atmospheric CO2. CO2 is a major anthropogenic greenhouse gas, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States (NOAA) estimated that the average CO2 content in the atmosphere would be roughly 416.87 ppm at the end of December 2021, up from 338.80 ppm in 1980. As a result, scientists are actively developing solutions to minimize CO2 levels in the atmosphere.

Pre-combustion capture, post-combustion capture, and oxyfuel combustion capturing from power plants and other industrial scale companies are the three current CO2 capture and separation technologies. Unlike liquid and membrane adsorbents, solid adsorbents have a wider temperature range of adsorption and can be safely disposed in the environment. The use of solid adsorbents in industrial exhaust gases has shown to be a successful method of trapping concentrated CO2 for later storage rather than direct emission to the environment. Recent investigations have recently identified MgO-based solid adsorbents as a potential material for CO2 capture at intermediate temperatures. Furthermore, magnesium (Mg) based minerals are nontoxic, abundant materials which can be prepared in large scale at relatively low cost. Even though MgO has a high theoretical CO2 capture capacity (1100 mg CO2/g sorbent), it underperforms in practical applications due to a limiting number of active CO2 capture sites. MgO reacts with CO2 to create MgCO3 in dry, high-temperature circumstances. Carbonate production, such as MgCO3, on a MgO surface obstructs additional carbon lattice transit leads, leading to lower total CO2 capture efficiency. Our technology
overcomes the limitation by anion doping of MgO-Mg(OH)2 at room temperature.

Technology Specifications

The doping was carried out by electrospinning technology in accordance with thermodynamic and quantum mechanical principles to improve process temperature and dopant/H2O concentrations in MgO-H2O-MgX (X= 2Cl-SO42- and 2/3PO43-) ternary systems. These novel composites aim to prevent the formation of MgCO3 to unblock the bulk diffusion of CO2 on MgO sorbents at 30°C under 1 atm, by using anion anion-doped CO2-philic MgO and CO2-phobic Mg(OH)2. Aided by in accordance with thermodynamic and quantum mechanical principles, the Cl-, SO42-, and PO43- doping was selected as dopants. This technology can therefore be used at room temperature CO2 adsorbents based on MgO-Mg(OH)2 composites development.

Sector

CO2 capture materials

Market Opportunity

The global carbon capture and storage market size was USD 2,784 million in 2021 and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 13.7% from 2022 to 2030 and reach USD 8,636 million by 2030. The key markets drivers are:

1. The surging investment to develop new capturing facilities
2. The increase in government initiatives to achieve net-zero emission rates in the future

Applications

CO2 monitoring sensors, room temperature CO2 capture from air and low CO2 concentration workplaces.

Customer Benefits

• Better carbon capture efficiency
• Cheaper than current CO2 adsorbent materials

Technology Readiness Level

3

Ideal Collaboration Partner

Carbon capture companies

Collaboration Mode

R&D collaboration and Licensing

NAME OF TECHNOLOGY MANAGER:

Dr Ler Ser Yeng

EMAIL: seryeng_ler@sutd.edu.sg

NAME OF PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR:

A/P Wu Ping

EMAIL: wuping@sutd.edu.sg