Liquid metal catalyst solidifies CO2 for safe storage

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In what is claimed to be a world first, researchers have used a liquid metal catalyst to turn CO2 back into solid coal, an advance with implications for carbon capture and storage.

Published in Nature Communications, the research led by RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia is claimed to offer an alternative direction for safely and permanently removing the greenhouse gas from the atmosphere.

Technologies for carbon capture and storage (CCS) involve compressing CO2 into a liquid form, transporting it to a suitable site and injecting it underground but implementation has been hampered by engineering challenges, economic viability and environmental concerns about possible leaks from the storage sites.

RMIT researcher Dr Torben Daeneke said converting CO2 into a solid could be a more sustainable approach.

"While we can't literally turn back time, turning carbon dioxide back into coal and burying it back in the ground is a bit like rewinding the emissions clock," said Daeneke, an Australian Research Council DECRA Fellow.

"To date, CO2 has only been converted into a solid at extremely high temperatures, making it industrially unviable.

"By using liquid metals as a catalyst, we've shown it's possible to turn the gas back into carbon at room temperature, in a process that's efficient and scalable.

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