In this way, it has been possible to contribute to the United Nations SDG number 13 on Climate Action through decarbonization with the important advantage of doing so at a lower cost than the technologies used until now.
During the 42-month duration of the project, innovative materials and efficient systems for capturing CO2 from post-combustion industrial emissions have been developed. Specifically, materials such as modified graphene aerogels and MOFs (Metal-Organic Frameworks) have shown very high CO2 capture capacities and a highly selective approach compared to other gases.
These materials have the unique ability to efficiently absorb microwave radiation. This has also enabled the development of a microwave heating system to desorb captured CO2 at a significantly lower energy cost compared to other, more traditional thermal options.
In the final stage of the project, interesting properties of these adsorbent materials have also been identified, such as their catalytic nature. Thus, their use in the synthesis of high-value-added chemicals such as fuels, alcohols, carbonates, and polyurethanes will enable a reduction in the CO2 used to date. The knowledge acquired over these years regarding CO2 adsorbents opens up significant future possibilities for the implementation of these new, efficient systems in industrial plants, thereby substantially reducing CO2 emissions.
The project had a budget of 4.2 million euros and involved a total of nine partners, including companies, universities, and technology centers. It received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement number 727619. Coordinated by AIMPLAS, and in cooperation with South Korea, the project also involved the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), the Belgian University of Mons, the German research center Fraunhofer ICT, the Spanish company Graphenea, the Dutch company Process Design Centre, the British company e2v, the Irish company MOFTech, and the South Korean Chemical Technology Research Centre (KRICT).
