A group of South Korean scientists has developed a new and much more advanced material that can capture carbon dioxide, and at a significantly lower price, the science ministry said Friday.
Using nano particles, the team from Seoul’s Hanyang University has developed a new membrane that can specifically capture only carbon dioxide or other molecules of different sizes if necessary, according to the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning.
Currently, high molecules or polymers are used to produce membranes for carbon capture and sequestration, but polymers have very limited efficiency in separating carbon dioxide from other elements, including clean or useful elements such as hydrogen, the ministry said in a press release.
The new material, on the other hand, can be constructed to make pores a specific size by controlling the distance between nano particles in the membrane, allowing it to capture only specifically targeted elements, including carbon dioxide, for the first time in the world.
As a result, the nano-based membrane is up to 1,000 times more efficient than conventional membranes in capturing and separating carbon dioxide, though it costs significantly less to produce the new and advanced membrane, according to the ministry.
“We will work to commercialize the technology at an early date through additional research and efficiency tests,” said Park Sang-do, the head of the country’s carbon capture and sequestration R&D center, adding the new technology could be commercialized in less than three years.
The work by the team from Hanyang University has also been published in the online edition of the international journal Science.
South Korean scientists develop new, advanced material for carbon capture
Most popular
-
News / Waste Management
Singapore’s polluter-pays scheme faces further delay amid concern over industry stalling tactics
Exclusive The city-state's beverage container return scheme has been pushed back beyond its launch date – the latest in … -
News / Cities
Stay or go? Jakarta’s coastal communities mull adaptation or migration as the city sinks
As Indonesia's capital is slowly claimed by the Java Sea, thousands of people are losing their homes and … -
News / Waste Management
Philippine government split on joining coalition to cut plastic production: UN treaty participants
The Philippines' environment agency wants to be part of a group that supports plastic production cuts, but the … -
News / Policy & Finance
COP29 presidency reiterates commitment to Paris Agreement as Azerbaijan defends oil and gas expansion
As COP29 president Mukhtar Babayev outlined climate plans for the upcoming talks, Azerbaijan president Ilham Aliyev said at … -
News / Cities
Tighten legal ambiguity, protect more forests: Singapore conservationists issue wishlist to government
Key asks include looking into having two new nature parks, along with explicit safeguards for the airspace above … -
Opinion / Carbon & Climate
Climate change poses dire health and human rights risks
Human health relies on healthy ecosystems, but these are under threat. Securing the right to live in a …