Removing CO2 from the atmosphere: Japan research innovates and improves efficiency

Researchers at Tokyo Metropolitan University in Japan have developed a new capture system that removes carbon dioxide (CO2) directly from the atmosphere with 99% efficiency, a performance unprecedented in the world. In addition, according to the researchers, the process is twice as fast as existing systems. The processes of carbon capture and storage, CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) are developing rapidly. But there are two significant hurdles to overcome before full-scale deployment: a) current CO2 concentrations make chemical reactions with sorbent compounds very slow, and b) off-gas cycles are very energy intensive. The innovation focuses on the use of isophorone diamine (IPDA) in a “liquid-solid phase separation” system. Click to access the work "Direct Air Capture of CO2 Using a Liquid Amine–Solid Carbamic Acid Phase-Separation System Using Diamines Bearing an Aminocyclohexyl Group" by Soichi Kikkawa, Kazushi Amamoto, Yu Fujiki, Jun Hirayama, Gen Kato, Hiroki Miura , Tetsuya Shishido, and Seiji Yamazoe, published by the American Chemical Society.