Research line
CO2 utilisation
Using captured carbon as a resource requires more than a capture step. The centre studies what can be done with CO2 after it has been separated.
Why it matters
Industrial processes produce CO2 in large, relatively concentrated streams. Capturing that carbon is only useful if there is a credible destination for it. Utilisation offers one set of destinations: converting CO2 into a product, using it as a working fluid, or locking it into a stable mineral. These routes do not replace the need to reduce emissions, but they can displace fossil carbon and create value from a stream that would otherwise be vented.
How we approach it
We work from the molecular scale upwards. Solvents and solid sorbents are studied to understand how CO2 binds and how easily it can be released. Supercritical CO2 is examined as a medium for extraction, impregnation and material synthesis. Catalytic and mineralisation routes are tested for conversion. Each candidate process is accompanied by an assessment of energy demand and environmental performance, so that a promising laboratory result is not confused with a sustainable process.
Focus areas
- Capture materials and gas separation
- Supercritical CO2 for extraction and materials processing
- Conversion of CO2 into added value products
- Mineralisation and stable carbonates
- Process design and scale up
Selected project context
The SOST CO2 project examined new industrial uses of CO2 with sustainability in view across a large public private consortium. The CIUDEN work studied the interaction of CO2 with storage rocks under sequestration conditions. Both projects combined laboratory work with partners from industry and research institutes.
Related laboratories
Work in this line draws on the following laboratory spaces. Projects may use one or several of them, depending on whether the question is computational, analytical or process based.