A simple, low-cost carbon filter removes 90% of carbon dioxide from smokestack gases

General Science / Chemistry

Researchers in Wyoming report development of a low-cost carbon filter that can remove 90 percent of carbon dioxide gas from the smokestacks of electric power plants that burn coal and other fossil fuels. Their study is scheduled for the May 21 issue of ACS’ monthly journal, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research.

Maciej Radosz and colleagues at Wyoming's Soft Materials Laboratory cite the pressing need for simple, inexpensive new technologies to remove carbon dioxide from smokestack gases. Coal-burning electric power plants are major sources of the greenhouse gas, and control measures may be required in the future.

The study describes a new carbon dioxide-capture process, called a Carbon Filter Process, designed to meet the need. It uses a simple, low-cost filter filled with porous carbonaceous sorbent that works at low pressures. Modeling data and laboratory tests suggest that the device works better than existing technologies at a fraction of their cost.

Source: ACS

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Posted by Fritz 05/20/08 13:30

Rank: 3.67/5 after 3 votes

It is clear that the "increasingly clean" coal energy industry advertising on television has never been serious about carbon dioxide capture. Not only does the concept of using a "simple, low-cost filter" to capture CO2 seem a rather "duh" discovery, but it comes as no surprise that outside researchers, rather than the industry itself, should come up with the idea. I'd be willing to bet the industry will further prove its "uncleanliness" by taking 20 years to install such filters, and will only do so when required to install them by law, the only motivation that has forced the industry to become "increasingly clean" in the first place. Quite apparently, saving our children and grandchildren never has been motivation enough.

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Posted by 1bigschwantz 05/20/08 14:20

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I guess its just not enough that some one developed this filter. There has to be some evil behind it.

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Posted by Neil Farbstein 05/26/08 18:22

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It might cause some headaches if we forced the industry use to them in a year or two. Damn, if they sell their carbon credits they might come out ahead!

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Posted by paulo 05/26/08 18:57

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what about using algae to make fuel out of the C02? waste=product.
i can't believe they aren't doing it already and making money out of their waste.