Background
The field of carbon dioxide (CO2) capture is rapidly growing due to an increasing need to effectively remove CO2 from the atmosphere. New technologies are currently being developed to target CO2 in various types of sources. One particular method of CO2 capture that has gained traction in recent years is membrane-based separation, which is used to concentrate CO2 and selectively transport the compound through the membrane.
Recent studies have shown that polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) can be added to these membranes to increase the concentration of CO2 using a staged membrane process. The performance of this membrane can be further enhanced by adding amine and ammonium functionalities to the polymer, which increase the solubility of the CO2 and enable a facilitated transport mechanism. However, this has not been widely implemented yet in the field.
Invention Description
Researchers at Arizona State University have developed a novel hybrid CO2 capture system for separation and in-situ-resource utilization (ISRU) of atmospheric CO2. This system includes a series of membrane contactors with amine and ammonium functional groups added to PDMS backbones to preferentially allow for CO2 transport. These membranes can be fed ambient air, and a light vacuum is applied to the backside, which increases the CO2 concentration in the permeate by several 100-fold.
Potential Applications:
- PDMS Polymers (DAC applications)
- Space-based CO2 capture
- Atmospheric CO2 capture
Benefits and Advantages:
- Higher CO2 transport – effective concentration of CO2
- Lower energy consumption – reduces energy requirements
- Increased solubility of CO2 – addition of amine and ammonium functional groups improve solubility