Posted on 08/10/2014 8:34:01 PM PDT by Titus-Maximus
A sponge-like plastic that sops up the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) might ease our transition away from polluting fossil fuels and toward new energy sources, such as hydrogen. The material—a relative of the plastics used in food containers—could play a role in President Obama's plan to cut CO2 emissions 30 percent by 2030, and could also be integrated into power plant smokestacks in the future.
The report on the material is one of nearly 12,000 presentations at the 248th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
"The key point is that this polymer is stable, it's cheap, and it adsorbs CO2 extremely well. It's geared toward function in a real-world environment," says Andrew Cooper, Ph.D. "In a future landscape where fuel-cell technology is used, this adsorbent could work toward zero-emission technology."
CO2 adsorbents are most commonly used to remove the greenhouse gas pollutant from smokestacks at power plants where fossil fuels like coal or gas are burned. However, Cooper and his team intend the adsorbent, a microporous organic polymer, for a different application—one that could lead to reduced pollution.
The new material would be a part of an emerging technology called an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC), which can convert fossil fuels into hydrogen gas. Hydrogen holds great promise for use in fuel-cell cars and electricity generation because it produces almost no pollution. IGCC is a bridging technology that is intended to jump-start the hydrogen economy, or the transition to hydrogen fuel, while still using the existing fossil-fuel infrastructure. But the IGCC process yields a mixture of hydrogen and CO2 gas, which must be separated.
(Excerpt) Read more at phys.org ...
Aren’t all plastics a product of petroleum?
Quick, hire as many environmental scientists who specialize in this sponge to perfect the technology as possible. The surveil of the planet is a stake!
Each should be paid a reasonable sum of around $200,000 each year for about seven years and be sure to supply them with generous government grants, too.
Thank you.
Green Energy = the snake oil scam that keeps on giving.....
hydrogen is one third as dense as nat gas, requiring three times the volume or three times the pressure. Various metal hydrides for storage have problems. Hydrogen also causes embrittlement of steel piping.
In short, this is all still a liberal wet dream.
Arbophobe!
This is pretty moronic considering that planting a tree will do the same thing with many other added benefits.
Now if only they’d find a way to keep the sky from falling we could all live happily ever after.
Make work research to solve a phantom problem. The politicians can skim their money off the government grants that will be given.
Yeah, it’s odd to consider that a tree is built almost entirely from water and the air, with merely a bit of minerals from the ground.
Why don’t they just plant some trees?
That's all I need to know...
Hey, I was going to post that tree! Is Al Gore claiming he invented this plastic? Or just financing it?
All libs should wear a mask made of this material - and have a trailer towed behind their cars to absorb same.
The news seems nowadays to be written exclusively by mentally disturbed comedians.
All of this on account of .034 percent of the atmosphere.
Good question, it will take a lot more money to build these carbon sponges than to throw some seeds around. Gotta send large amounts of tax payer money to a left wing socially conscious company rather than a seed company.
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