New Powder That Captures Carbon Could Be ‘Quantum Leap’ for Industry

A ‘covalent organic framework’ can be used to capture carbon to store it or convert it for industrial use

An innocuous yellow powder, created in a lab, could be a new way to combat the climate crisis by absorbing carbon from the air. Just half a pound of the substance may remove as much carbon dioxide as a tree can, according to early tests. Once the carbon is absorbed, it can be safely stored or used in industrial processes like carbonating drinks.

“This really addresses a major problem in the tech field, and it gives an opportunity now for us to scale it up and start using it,” says Omar Yaghi, a chemist at the University of California, Berkeley. It’s not the first material to absorb carbon, but “it’s a quantum leap ahead [of other compounds] in terms of the durability of the material.”

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What Makes the Powder Unique

The powder is known as a covalent organic framework, with strong chemical bonds that pull gases out of the air. This material is durable, porous, and reusable hundreds of times, making it superior to other materials used for carbon capture.

Yaghi has been researching similar materials for decades as part of a broader effort to capture carbon from the air. His latest work, conducted with graduate student Zihui Zhou and others, was published in the journal Nature last month.

Testing the New Material

In lab tests, Yaghi’s team demonstrated that the powder could successfully absorb and release carbon more than 100 times. It fills with carbon in about two hours and only requires a temperature of 120°F to release the gas, making it far more efficient than other methods.

This low-temperature requirement opens up possibilities for integrating the material into existing systems. Factories or power plants with excess heat could use it to capture and release carbon without adding significant energy costs.

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Scaling Up Carbon Capture

Yaghi envisions building large-scale facilities using the material in cities with populations over 1 million worldwide. His Irvine, California-based company, Atoco, plans to scale up production, aiming to manufacture the powder in multi-ton quantities within a year.

Shengqian Ma, a chemist at the University of North Texas, calls the technology "gamechanging." He notes, “One longstanding challenge for direct air capture lies in the high regeneration temperatures,” and adds that the new material’s efficiency makes it “very novel” and “very promising.”

Addressing Carbon Emissions

“We need to reduce our greenhouse emissions, and we need to do it fast,” says Farzan Kazemifar, an associate professor in the department of mechanical engineering at San Jose State University, who was not involved in the study. “In the short term, replacing large emitters of carbon dioxide – like coal power plants – with renewable electricity offers the fastest reduction in emissions.”

However, Kazemifar highlights the need for technologies like direct air capture if emissions don’t decline quickly enough or if global warming effects worsen. He emphasizes that carbon removal technologies are an essential backup strategy.

Challenges to Scaling the Technology

Despite its promise, direct air capture still faces significant challenges. The concentration of carbon dioxide in the air, though rising, is only about 0.04%, meaning any capture technology must process vast amounts of air. This process requires substantial energy to power fans and other components, which remains a major hurdle.

Kazemifar explains, “The high energy intensity of the process is the main challenge with all [direct air capture] technologies.” Meanwhile, researchers at MIT have raised concerns that some climate stabilization plans overestimate the feasibility and scalability of direct air capture systems.

The Cost Factor

Another barrier is the cost of materials for creating carbon capture substances. Shengqian Ma notes that while the technology is promising, reducing material costs will be critical for its widespread adoption.

Still, Yaghi believes the new material offers a significant step forward. “This is something we’ve been working on for 15 years, that basically addresses some of the lingering problems,” he says. “It gives no excuse now for us [not] to start thinking more seriously about taking carbon dioxide out of the air.”

About Atoco

Atoco is a cutting-edge company focused on developing innovative solutions for carbon capture and storage. Based in Irvine, California, Atoco is dedicated to scaling groundbreaking technologies to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions globally.