What are CCUS materials?

Created By RISC | 2 years ago

Last modified date : 2 years ago

Carbon Neutrality for Long-Term Well-Being through Materials Science “CCUS Materials”

“Carbon Neutrality” and “Net Zero Emissions” are increasingly popular keyword amid global warming, driven mainly by carbon emissions. The routes to net zero include:
- Saving electrical power consumption
- Shifting electrical power generation from thermal power generation to renewable energy
- Shifting from gasoline-powered vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs)
- Reducing exhaust gases from factories, etc.

But some ways to reduce carbon emissions could affect quality of life, which can cause negative attitudes to carbon neutrality. To address these concerns, we have started a new project for carbon neutrality through material science. This approach can avoid impacts on our lifestyles and protect our long-term well-being. Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) and its materials are a key element.

What are CCUS materials?
CCUS materials capture, store, and utilize carbon dioxide. Some materials only capture and release gas molecules. Others have all these functions. Carbon dioxide be captured in the holes of porous materials, for example, or absorbed through chemical reactions. In this phase, the material provides capture and storage. Some of the reactant can then react further with specific materials to be used in various field. We can therefore not only remove carbon dioxide but also produce materials necessary in our lives.

How do CCUS materials work?
CCUS materials to capture, store, and react with carbon dioxide are set to benefit society. They involve a series of processes. They first capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by adsorbing it with a porous structure or chemical reactions. Carbon dioxide is then stored in the reactant but can be released by heat or a chemical reaction, enabling repeated reuse. In a second step, the released carbon dioxide, or the reactant after capturing carbon, can be used in building materials, cement, paper, plastics, and so on. The material, therefore, not only captures carbon dioxide but also produces new chemical resources.

Such materials absorb carbon dioxide without any impact on activities such as electrical power use or manufacturing. We expect to apply this technology to our city, addressing carbon emissions without its people noticing.

What CCUS materials are available?
Amines are promising CCUS materials that enable concrete to absorb 1.5 times as much carbon dioxide.1 Applied in streets, buildings, and bridges, amines would likely remove carbon dioxide efficiently, without affecting our lifestyles and life quality.

Our research has found that MOF, amines, zeolites, and nanotubes work as CCUS materials. Most have been applied to industrial plants. But more CCUS materials are needed for cities, to be applied in parks, buildings, and other locations. We will now focus on making prototypes to test CCUS materials in the field and find which are most effective.

Stay tuned for further updates on CCUS materials.

Story by Difei Miao, CCUS Research Project Consultant, Nanotech Specialist

Reference
https://www.shimz.co.jp/company/about/news-release/2022/2022017.html