Novel carbon storage technique ‘fastest of its kind’

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Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed new carbon storage technology that works faster than current methods and without the harmful chemical accelerants.

Cockrell School of Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin

In the new study, published in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, the researchers developed a technique for ultrafast formation of carbon dioxide hydrates.

According to the researchers, the unique ice-like materials can bury carbon dioxide in the ocean, preventing it from being released into the atmosphere.

“We’re staring at a huge challenge – finding a way to safely remove gigatons of carbon from our atmosphere – and hydrates offer a universal solution for carbon storage. We need the technology to grow them rapidly and at scale,” Vaibhav Bahadur, a professor in the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering and research lead said in a statement. “We’ve shown that we can quickly grow hydrates without using any chemicals that offset the environmental benefits of carbon capture.”

Currently, the most common carbon storage method involves injecting CO2 into underground reservoirs. This technique has the dual benefits of trapping carbon and increasing oil production.

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carbon capture and storage