Capture CO2 in a cost efficient way
There are multiple methods to capture CO2 but in most cases they are not cost effective. That is why we are looking into developing solid sorbents that efficiently capture CO2 in packed bed configurations. Several shaping methods such as granulation, coating and extrusion are developed at Vito.
What are the benefits?
- Capture more CO2 with less sorbent material
The chemistry and structure of the sorbent materials is carefully selected to catch selectively large amounts of CO2.
- Efficient regeneration
Sorbents are designed to allow efficient regeneration of the captured CO2 through fast heating for instance using renewable electric energy.
- Decreased energy needs
The architecture or shape of the sorbents is modified to reduce the energy needed to push large amounts of air or flue gas through the packed bed.
Shaping technologies to make sorbents suitable for large scale use
How it works
Air or flue gas is flowing through the filter filled with shaped sorbent materials. The CO2 is trapped by the sorbent in the filter. Purified air or gas is released.
Only a small layer on the outside of the sorbent material will easily take up CO2. This means that a filter with large particles will only capture a small amount of CO2. A filter with small particles will take up more CO2. Smaller particles pack more densely and require more energy to push the air or flue gas through the filter resulting in a higher electricity consumption.
The solution
By controlling the porous architecture of the CO2 sorbent and introducing many pores the air flows easily through the structure and the CO2 uptake can be optimized. This way we need less sorbent material to capture more CO2.
Science figured out - use a sponge to help stop global warming?
Wouldn't it be nice if we could use a sponge to suck carbon dioxide out of the air and help stop global warming? That's what VITO's Yoran De Vos is hoping to achieve. But his sponge is nothing like an ordinary kitchen sponge. He uses sorbent materials to create his CO2 filter.
Watch the movie!
The circular and biobased economy in practice
VITO helps governments and companies to make the transition to circular thinking and develops circular business models. We also support innovation that transforms waste streams into raw materials and basic materials for new or existing products.
