CO2 conversion to useful carbon products in molten carbon electrolysis cells

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Growth in world-wide energy demand is resulting in ever increasing anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. As a consequence, new approaches are needed to both permanently sequester CO2 and develop promising technologies to capture and transform CO2 into value-added products. Carbon Upcycling Technologies (CUT) and zEroCor Tubulars Inc (zEroCor), in partnership with the Birss Group at the University of Calgary, are teaming up to develop a high temperature electrolysis cell used to convert CO2 to solid carbon and oxygen gas. With such a process tied to carbon neutral electricity sources (wind, solar, etc.), CO2 is permanently sequestered, and two value-added products, oxygen and carbon, are both produced. Purified oxygen is valued for many chemical processes, while carbon is increasingly in demand as an additive for strengthening plastics and concrete, as electrode materials for batteries and fuel cells, as filter materials, an adsorbent for air and water pollutants, and more.**High temperature electrolysis is one of the more efficient methods of using electrical energy to directly convert CO2 to carbon, but there are high demands on the materials in terms of long term stability, especially in the corrosive environment of molten salt electrolytes. The goal of this project is to improve the performance and stability of the molten carbonate electrolysis cells (MCEC) so that the company partners can assess the feasibility and cost effectiveness of the producing value-added carbons. Based on reverse molten carbonate fuel cell technology, bench-scale MCECs will be tested, modified and optimized to produce commercially desirable carbon powders, such as graphene nanoplatelets and related nanoparticles. The structure of the carbon products will be determined and product testing by the company partners will be used to tailor the carbon deposition conditions to generate a marketable material.**