Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS) is being increasingly touted as a key tool in the fight against climate change, with governments, businesses, and researchers looking at how best to develop and utilise associated technologies.

The UK Government explains that “CCUS is a technology aimed at capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from industrial processes, power plants, and other sources, preventing them from entering the atmosphere and contributing to climate change. The captured CO2 can then be either reused in various industrial applications or stored permanently in geological formations deep underground.”[i]

According to the State of Carbon Dioxide Removal report, released last year, around 2 GtCO₂ per year of Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) is taking place already. Almost all of this comes from conventional CDR methods such as reforestation and wetland restoration. However, whilst novel CDR methods presently contribute less than 0.1% of total CDR (1.3 million tons [0.0013 Gt]) these methods are growing considerably more quickly than conventional ones[ii].

In this insight we look at some of the recent announcements within this burgeoning sector.

Northwestern University’s DAC (Direct Air Capture) breakthrough

Researchers at Northwestern University recently published a paper outlining new methods to facilitate the direct air capture of carbon (DAC). Published in Science Daily, the researchers explained that moisture-swing direct air capture (DAC), which uses changes in humidity to catch carbon, will be central to global strategies to combat climate change. However, its scalability has so far been limited, due to past use of engineered polymer materials called ion exchange resins- an expensive and energy intensive process.

Encouragingly, the team from Northwestern found they could reduce both cost and energy use by employing less expensive and more sustainable materials, many of which can be sourced from organic waste or feedstock, thus making DAC technologies cheaper and more scalable.

In an article Northwestern materials science and engineering Ph.D. candidate, and co-author John Hegarty explained: “The study introduces and compares novel platform nanomaterials for moisture-swing carbon capture, specifically carbonaceous materials like activated carbon, nanostructured graphite, carbon nanotubes and flake graphite, and metal oxide nanoparticles including iron, aluminum and manganese oxides. For the first time, we applied a structured experimental framework to identify the significant potential of different materials for CO2 capture. Of these materials, the aluminum oxide and activated carbon had the fastest kinetics, while the iron oxide and nanostructured graphite could capture the most CO2.”[iii]

Interface adds captured carbon to floor tiles

Flooring solutions provider Interface recently announced plans to apply carbon capture technology to their products. In a press release the company explained that it is incorporating captured carbon in its manufacturing processes helping to store more carbon and lower the carbon footprints of its carpet tile products. The new raw material formed from captured carbon performs the same as a material previously used by Interface, but has a lower carbon footprint. Captured carbon, alongside recycled and bio-based materials will form an integral part of the company’s carpet tile manufacturing processes in the U.S. and Europe. This move aligns with the company’s ‘all in’ commitment to be carbon negative by 2040, and to repurpose former carbon offset investments into projects that accelerate carbon reduction and carbon storage.

Luca Achilli, Global Innovation & Sustainability Projects Director at Interface said:

"Since 1996, we’ve made impressive progress to reduce our carbon impacts through product and manufacturing innovations. In fact, we’ve reduced the carbon footprint of our carpet tile portfolio by 82%”[iv]

Achilli explained that Interface’s R&D and product development teams are constantly analysing the businesses supply chain processes and raw materials, looking for opportunities to progress as quickly as possible towards the company’s goal to be carbon negative by 2040.

“Captured carbon is an output of this innovative thinking that furthers our leadership across the commercial flooring industry."[v] He added.

Kathmandu and ‘Biorecycling’ emissions

In a further nod to how captured carbon is being applied to create new materials, our recent insight explored how clothing provider Kathmandu is using captured emissions in its new range of products. The Seeker activewear range contains materials made from not only recycled waste (such as end-of-life car tyres) but also polyester yarn derived from carbon capture processes. Kathmandu has partnered with LanzaTech who have been operating at a commercial scale to harness carbon capture ‘biorecycling’ since 2018.

LanzaTech has developed a process which captures carbon-rich gases from industrial sources, such as steel mills and refineries, and transforms them into ethanol and other valuable chemicals. This process keeps greenhouse gas emissions out of the atmosphere and removes the need to use virgin materials such as fossil fuels[vi]. You can read the full insight here.

References

[i] UK carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) - GOV.UK

[ii] The State of Carbon Dioxide Removal

[iii] Carbon capture could become practical with scalable, affordable materials | ScienceDaily

[iv] Interface Invests in Captured Carbon Material Innovation to Meet Bold Climate Commitments

[v] Ibid

[vi] Biorefining – LanzaTech

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