Thuwal: Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) unveiled a revolutionary system that could transform the way the world approaches carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
According to Saudi Press Agency, their research, published in the journal Nature Catalysis, demonstrates a system that converts captured CO2 into ethylene, a key feedstock in the production of plastics, textiles, and construction materials. The findings reveal a direct pathway to converting greenhouse-gas emissions into high-value chemical products.
The lead researcher, KAUST Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Xu Lu, stated that the system's core efficiencies transform the typically costly CO2 capture process into a profit. The system was designed and tested under realistic industrial conditions using compressed CO2. Results indicate that captured CO2 can be converted into economically valuable products, he stated.
Among various CO2 utilization strategies, producing ethylene -- whose global market exceeds US$200 billion annually -- makes electrolysis a particularly promising route, he explained. Moreover, the process can be powered by renewable electricity and operates under milder conditions compared to alternative methods.