Scientists at the George Washington University have managed to figure out a process in which they can literally grow carbon nanofibers out of thin air, using solar power.
Not only that, they do it using carbon dioxide — you know, that gas that contributes heavily to climate change? Using two electrodes, they pump power into a mixture of molten salt; lithium carbonate and lithium oxide. Then, carbon dioxide from the air reacts with the lithium oxide, producing carbon nanofibers — with more lithium carbonate and oxygen as byproducts.
The carbon nanofibers can then be used for a wide range of products or further processes. But beyond getting a useful material out of it, getting rid of carbon dioxide, if done on a large scale, could be beneficial for climate change. Unfortunately, they haven’t figured out how to do that just yet…
Speaking of carbon dioxide, did you know Copenhagen is building a massive waste-to-energy power plant which will also include a rock climbing wall and a ski slope on its exterior? What if you could combine these processes, and instead of the plant generating carbon dioxide, it manufactured carbon nanofibers? Until then, architects are planning on having the plant expel carbon dioxide smoke rings — each representing 1 ton of CO2. You know, just as a nice visual reminder of how much pollution the power plant makes…
Filed under: chemistry hacks, green hacks
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