CO2 extraction from seawater using bipolar membrane electrodialysis

Abstract

An efficient method for extracting the dissolved CO 2 in the oceans would effectively enable the separation of CO 2 from the atmosphere without the need to process large volumes of air, and could provide a key step in the synthesis of renewable, carbon-neutral liquid fuels. While the extraction of CO 2 from seawater has been previously demonstrated, many challenges remain, including slow extraction rates and poor CO 2 selectivity, among others. Here we describe a novel solution to these challenges -efficient CO 2 extraction from seawater using bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BPMED). We characterize the performance of a custom designed and built CO 2 -from-seawater prototype, demonstrating the ability to extract 59% of the total dissolved inorganic carbon from seawater as CO 2 gas with an electrochemical energy consumption of 242 kJ mol À1 (CO 2 ).

Contrasting futures for ocean and society from different anthropogenic CO 2 emissions scenarios

“…A positive development is that a widening range of stakeholders are testing new practices or reviving old ones, including CO 2 extraction from seawater (148), assisted evolution of corals (149), coral farming (150), and customary local management (151). Such field tests provide useable information and tools for decision-makers and climate negotiators as to the costs, benefits, and timing of management options.…”

The Effect of Copper Addition on the Activity and Stability of Iron-Based CO2 Hydrogenation Catalysts

“…The abundance of CO 2 in the atmosphere and its documented impact on climate change have led to a rapidly growing research effort associated with using it as a carbon source [4,5,6]. Carbon and hydrogen are the principle building blocks needed to synthesize hydrocarbons or alcohols [7] to be used as chemicals and/or fuel.…”

Is there an engineering approach for the transition to a sustainable hydrogen economy?

“…Koningstein and Fork [7] came to the conclusion that no such disruptive technology is in sight, completely ignoring the fact that the energy ship concept delivers exactly this combination of products. The storable hydrogen shipped from the energy ships back to shore can be used directly as fuel for hydrogen-fuel-cell powered surface vehicles and ships, it can be converted into methanol for aircraft propulsion (thereby achieving carbon-neutral aircraft propulsion as advocated by Willauer et al [12] and Eisaman [13]), it can be combined with nitrogen to produce fertilizers, it can be converted into electricity and potable water in fuel cells and hydrogen-oxygen power plants, and finally the electricity generated on energy ships can be used to extract CO2 from the sea water [12,13].…”

“…In recent years, Willauer et al [12] and Eisaman et al [13] have been studying the possibility of replacing the conventional jet fuel by a synfuel manufactured from hydrogen and carbon dioxide extracted from sea water.…”