Transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy is good climate policy, but it won’t be enough to keep global temperatures from rising by more than 2 degrees Celsius and bringing catastrophic climate change.

To address this problem, people have invented technologies that convert captured CO2 into new products.

Below are five new game-changing technologies

1. C2CNT

Product: Carbon nano tubes, carbon fiber

C2CNT's approach is to capture CO2 directly from the flue stream of a power plant, cement kiln or other industrial facility, then convert it into pure carbon nanotubes. The process costs less than traditional carbon nanofiber manufacturing, such as chemical vapor deposition or polymer pulling, the company said.

2. Carbon Up cycling Technologies

Products: Nano particles for plastics, concrete and coatings

This start up from Calgary, Canada, has developed a process that combines CO2 with waste products, such as fly ash left over from burning coal or petroleum coke, to create nanoparticles that can be used as additives for concrete, plastic and coatings to enhance performance and increase efficiency, according to the company.

3. Newlight Technologies

Product: Bioplastic

The scientists and engineers at this Huntington Beach, California, based startup have developed a process for capturing methane or carbon dioxide from a farm or power plant flue stream, and combining it with a microorganism that pulls the carbon out of the methane or carbon dioxide. The concentrated carbon is then combined with hydrogen and oxygen to synthesize a naturally occurring, PHA-based biopolymer material that is then purified and processed into a pellet, which can then be melted and formed into shapes.

4. Breathe

Product: Methanol

This research team from Bangalore, India, is developing an artificial photosynthesis process to convert CO2 into methanol, a key feedstock and fuel. Conventional methanol is a liquid petrochemical used to make resins, pharmaceuticals, perfumes and a variety of other products. Scientists around the world are competing to develop the best process for converting waste CO2 into methanol.

5. C4X

Products: Chemicals, bio-composite foamed plastics

This team from Suzhou, China, is led by Wayne Song, an expert in wood-plastic composite, a material made from sawdust and plastic fiber. C4X uses captured CO2 to produce methanol, ethylene glycol and bio-composite foamed plastics.

Source:Green Biz

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Picture credit to:Elke Karin Lugert