A team of researchers has developed a new process that efficiently transforms carbon dioxide from deep in the oceans into sustainable plastics.
In a recent study published in the journal Nature Catalysis, scientists from the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China led research efforts into tapping into the “ocean carbon sink as a resource.”
According to researchers, their efficient and cost-competitive method for capturing dissolved CO2 from seawater has the potential to produce valuable, sustainable biochemicals. This could give manufacturers an opportunity to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, paving the way for more eco-friendly plastic products. Not only could this help cut down on planet-heating carbon emissions, but it may also directly address the increasing risk of harmful microplastics.
“Renewable electricity-driven capture and conversion of oceanic dissolved inorganic carbon into value-added chemicals offers a sustainable route towards negative carbon emissions and a circular carbon economy,” wrote the researchers.
The current manufacturing process of most plastic products heavily relies on fossil fuels, from extraction to disposal. With more than 400 million tons of plastic produced worldwide each year, plastics are directly impacting the steady rise of global temperatures. This has played a major role in sea-level rise and the uptick of extreme weather events.
In the study, the researchers developed an artificial ocean carbon recycling system capable of capturing and converting oceanic carbon sources into biochemicals through a “decoupled electro-biocatalytic hybrid process.” The system demonstrated a high capture efficiency rate of 70% while operating continuously for up to 536 hours. Altogether, the estimated cost of carbon capture was revealed to be around $230 per ton of CO2.
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In a news release announcing the discovery, the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences explained that the revolutionary method could unlock a world of possibilities while still being cost-effective.
“This is the first demonstration that’s going from ocean carbon dioxide all the way to a usable feedstock for bioplastic,” said Dr. Chengxiang Xiang, staff scientist for the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis at California Institute of Technology. He noted that the primary goal of the study was “taking that CO2 and turning it into a bioplastic monomer with promising stability and economics.”
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