Researchers at Chung-Ang University in South Korea came up with the idea of using industrial carbon dioxide and dolomite, a common and widespread sedimentary rock rich in calcium and magnesium, to produce two commercially viable products: calcium formate and magnesium oxide.
In a paper published in the Journal of Chemical Engineering, the scientists explain that their carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technology is based on a process that combines carbon dioxide hydrogenation reactions and cation exchange reactions to simultaneously purify metal oxides and produce high-value, high-value formate. production.
Specifically, they used a catalyst (Ru/bpyTN-30-CTF) to add hydrogen to carbon dioxide, producing two value-added products. Leather tanning also uses calcium formate, cement additives, deicers and animal feed additives. Magnesium oxide, on the other hand, is widely used in the construction and pharmaceutical industries.
Lead researchers Seongho Yoo and Chul-Jin Lee say the process is not only feasible, but also extremely fast, producing the product in just five minutes at room temperature. Additionally, his team estimates that the process could reduce global warming potential by 20% compared to traditional methods of producing calcium formate.
The team also assessed whether their method could replace existing production methods by examining its environmental impact and economic viability.
“Based on the results, we can say that our method is an environmentally friendly alternative to carbon dioxide conversion that can replace traditional methods and help reduce industrial carbon dioxide emissions,” Yun said.
The scientist noted that while converting carbon dioxide into useful products sounds promising, these processes are not always easy to scale. Most CCU technologies have not yet been commercialized because their economic feasibility is low compared to mainstream commercial processes.
“We need to combine the CCU process with waste recycling to make it environmentally and economically viable. This could help achieve net-zero emissions targets in the future,” Lee said.