Sponge-like pellets capture carbon dioxide

Capturing carbon dioxide (CO₂) from industrial processes is a necessary step to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and minimise the severe impacts of climate change.  

The study, published in the Chemical Engineering Journal, explored the use of novel sponge-like materials which can trap CO₂, preventing it from entering the atmosphere. 

These magnetic framework composites (MFCs) combine metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) that trap CO₂, and magnetic nanoparticles, which allow the material to be heated using magnetic fields to release the captured gas for storage or further use. 

Until now, the focus of research on these materials has been on their powder form. Now, researchers at Nottingham have developed a method to shape the MFC powders into small, strong pellets using different polymer binders. They then tested how these different formulations affected the material’s ability to absorb CO₂, its strength, and its heat transfer properties. 

The results showed that some binders, such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), substantially increased the mechanical strength of the pellets, with four per cent binder resulting in 107 per cent increase in pellet strength.