Breath of fresh air

A membrane that filters carbon dioxide from flue emissions in a similar way to how lungs rid the body of the waste gas has been developed by researchers in Norway.

Memfo, a membrane research group, based at the

(NTNU) in Trondheim, has used nanotechnology to construct a patented plastic polymer membrane that would be fitted at the exit of a coal-fired power plant's stack.

There is an enzyme in the lung which transforms CO

into an ion that is more easily transported through the biological membrane.

The plastic membrane mimics this function as it contains a 'carrier' that is fixed on to the backbone of the polymer.

The carrier, made up of amine groups, helps the CO

molecules to bind with existing moisture in the flue gases to form bicarbonate, which then transports the CO

quickly through the membrane. This has been designed so that only CO

is captured, while other waste gases, such as nitrogen, are allowed to pass freely.