New Material Soaks up Gas

Introduction

A new material that efficiently and inexpensively absorbs carbon dioxide from thermal power plant gas emissions has been developed by a research team at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. The material is made of minute lithium silicate particles, 3 microns across, which have been solidified into granule some 600 microns in diameter and coated with aluminum oxide particles measuring 30 microns in diameter. Lithium silicate absorbs carbon dioxide at temperatures of 500 oC (932F) and discharges it at around 800 oC. Thus it is possible to remove carbon dioxide from exhaust from coal or oil-powered plants if the emissions are cooled slightly and passed through a container filed with the lithium silicate granules.

The granules can be reused after being heated to make them discharge the carbon dioxide that they have absorbed. Since carbon dioxide concentrations in the discharged gas are as high as 90%, that makes it easy to dispose of carbon dioxide by burying it in landfills or by dissolved it in sea-water. In addition, the aluminum oxide surface prevents the granules from becoming sticky even after absorbing carbon dioxide, making it easy to move them from one place to another within a power plant.

Contact for more information

Science & Technology Wing Embassy of India
2-2-11, Kudan Minami, Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 102-0074, Japan
Tel: +81-3-3262-2391 to 97,
Fax: +81-3-3234-4866
E-mail: tandonus@hotmail.com