Background
In the wake of the climate crisis, the necessity of removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere is of utmost importance. Current methods for removing CO2 from the atmosphere include Direct Air Capture (DAC) which uses a chemical filter that selectively binds to CO2 molecules. Once captured, the concentrated CO2 stream is then stored underground. Moisture swing DAC utilizes water evaporation to release captured CO2 under the ground, compared to regular DAC methods that utilize heat, which often requires more energy.
Cross-linking polymers are a type of compound that has been treated to form covalent bonds between different polymer chains, creating a three-dimensional network. Typically, these sorbents are water-soluble when polymerized as linear polymers, which limits their use in humid conditions.
According to the EPA, textiles make up 5.8% of municipal solid waste in 2019 where only 14% is recycled. Additionally, moisture-swing DAC requires sorbents with long term stability. By utilizing DAC combined with fabrics that are often overlooked due to fast fashion practices, the possibilities are endless.
Invention Description
Researchers at Arizona State University and the University of Texas at Austin have developed a new process to modify textile fabrics and ion-exchange materials with active moisture-swing sorbents for CO2 adsorption/desorption. This invention immobilizes the sorbents with moisture-swing behavior into the fabric, which increases the stability of the material and improves overall DAC performance. This invention adds crosslinkers during the synthesis process, which gives as result polymeric networks with better physical and chemical properties. The fabric or support also provides a microstructure in fiber to the sorbent, which decreases the hydrophilicity of the final material or composite.
Potential Applications:
- Direct air capture (DAC)
Benefits and Advantages:
- Materials can be regenerated easily and can adsorb/desorb CO2 with lower water activity
- Increases the surface area, transport, and gas diffusion to the material which also provides thermal and mechanical improvement and stability
- Longer operational life
- Economically feasible