China-led team’s carbon dioxide conversion system hailed as ‘milestone’ in No. 1 greenhouse gas utilization

More importantly, the system can operate continuously for at least 5,000 hours, much longer than any other known device under study.

According to lead researcher Xia Baoyu, a professor in HUST’s Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, this feat could be a “milestone towards industrial applications.”

The findings, a collaboration between researchers from HUST, the University of Science and Technology of China, and the University of Auckland, were published in the journal Nature on January 31.

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Meteorologists warn that the world is likely to exceed the global warming threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius sooner than we think

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Formic acid has many uses in chemistry, energy, agriculture, and other fields. One of its main uses is as a preservative and antibacterial agent in livestock feed, but it is also used in fuel cells, leather tanning, and toilet bowl cleaners.

An additional advantage is that the electrolyte used in this new process can be sourced directly from used lead-acid batteries. This is a greener and more sustainable option.

“Achieving carbon dioxide conversion is at the forefront of research in this field,” Xia said in an interview earlier this month, adding that the main way to do this is through electrochemical methods, or applying electricity to modify the properties of chemicals. It’s a way to change, he added.

This process involves breaking the chemical bonds of carbon dioxide and then adding hydrogen to produce a variety of valuable hydrocarbons such as formic acid, methanol, ethanol, alkanes, and olefins.

The electrolyte, or key agent, used in this electrolysis process has traditionally been an alkaline raw material.

However, the drawback is that chemical reactions often produce undesirable by-products such as carbonates. These adhere to the electrolyzer as deposits and have a significant impact on the efficiency and life of the equipment.

“These efforts cannot translate science into applicable technology because they are less stable and can only be performed for a few hundred hours in the laboratory,” Xia said.

For the past five years, the research team has been experimenting with a new idea: using some of the key components of lead-acid batteries.

However, the electrolysis process is highly unstable in acidic environments, and the catalysts needed to drive the chemical reactions are susceptible to corrosion.

The researchers ultimately came up with several solutions, including the development of catalysts with higher conversion efficiency and less susceptibility to corrosion.

By using a catalyst derived from lead-acid batteries, we have achieved stable operation for over 5,000 hours.

“This is an important step toward industrial use,” said Shea.

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Lead-acid batteries are a stable and mature technology, widely used in automotive, communications, energy, military, and other fields.

The new system allows batteries to be directly reused in a productive way.

Xia said that with further development, the technology could be used to help carbon-intensive industries such as fossil fuel companies decarbonize.

However, scaling up for industrial use can create challenges that affect operation, such as device heat generation, he said.

By continuing their research, the researchers hope to convert carbon dioxide into products that are more valuable than formic acid, such as ethylene, which is used in everything from textiles to antifreeze to vinyl and has been called “the world’s most important chemical.” I’m thinking of changing it to.