Last year, during a climate summit in Glasgow, the results of a report entitled Global Carbon Budget was published; the report concerns carbon dioxide emission in individual countries and in the world. It shows that despite the regulations and taken actions, the forecast of carbon dioxide emission in 2021 will prove almost 5% higher on the global scale compared to 2020. The need for a significant decrease of that level resulting from the efforts to limit the human impact on climate changes may put at risk the security of the energy supply. It turns out that the surplus of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere may contribute to the development of new technologies based on this resource. Gradually, we get to know the environment-friendly chemistry of the mono-carbon C1 part of the CO2 molecule with fuel engineering and organic chemistry as the main areas interested in re-using it.
However, in order to recycle carbon dioxide efficiently for its further usage, proper technology is needed. One of such solutions has been proposed by scientists from the Faculty of Science and Technology, and the results of their research have been protected by patents.
The chemists have developed a method for catalytic methanisation, which may be applied to both carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Usually, such a process is carried out in high temperatures of 250°C to even 600°C; however, high temperature generates high costs. The new process can be conducted at the temperature of 130°C through the use of a proper catalyst. Additionally, low production costs of the catalyst and possibilities of its regeneration combined with lowering the temperature of the process makes the patent solution attractive not only for the classic fuel-based energy industry but also for the waste disposal and cement industry.
The inventors are scientists associated with the UŚ Faculty of Science and Technology: Prof. Eng. Jarosław Polański; Tomasz Siudyga, PhD; Maciej Kapkowski, PhD; and Piotr Bartczak, PhD.
