NEWS BLAST
Carbon Dioxide Capture Filters Get a 3D Printing Makeover
Create Carbon Dioxide Filters Using a 3D Printer
Y'all, NC State University scientists have been messing around with some cool tech and... well, let's just say they're giving carbon dioxide capture filters a whole new lease on life! They're using the trendiest manufacturing process out there—3D printing—to create these bad boys.
Say Hello to Hydrogel
What exactly is 3D printing being used for? The team at NC State filled a hydrogel material with an enzyme called carbonic anhydrase, which turbocharges a reaction that transforms CO2 and water into bicarbonate. Pretty sweet, right?
The Future is Now
Lead researcher Jialong Shen, an assistant professor of textile engineering, chemistry, and science, said this manufacturing process represents a game changer. "If you have access to a printer and the raw materials, you can make this functional material."
The scientists mixed a special solution containing two organic compounds (the printer "ink") and the carbonic anhydrase. Then they took the hydrogel and printed it into a two-dimensional grid with UV light to solidify the solution as it was printed. Clever, huh?
So, How Good is it?
So far, tests reveal the filter captures 24% of carbon dioxide in a gas mixture, which is lower than previous designs for the same material, but don't worry. The filter was small (less than an inch, or 2 cm, in diameter) and can be made larger to increase efficiency. And it showed impressive durability, retaining 52% of its initial carbon capture performance after more than 1,000 hours of testing.
Hope for the Future
Sonja Salmon, co-corresponding author and an associate professor of textile engineering, chemistry, and science, explains the team's enthusiasm: "This study is still in its early stages, but our findings suggest there are new ways to make materials for carbon capture devices. We're offering hope for carbon capture."
So there you have it. These groundbreaking researchers keep finding innovative ways to tackle climate change, and now they're using 3D printing to design filters that capture carbon dioxide. Who knew we'd all be designing solutions to global warming in the next decade? Watch this space for more breakthroughs from our friends at NC State!
This post originally appeared on NC State News.
Note to Editors:The study abstract follows.
Carbonic Anhydrase Enhanced UV-Crosslinked PEG-DA/PEO Extruded Hydrogel Flexible Filaments and Durable Grids for CO2 Capture
Authors: Jialong Shen, Sen Zhang, Xiaomeng Fang, and Sonja Salmon
Published: April 16, 2023, Gels
DOI: 10.3390/gels9040341
Abstract: In this study, poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate/poly (ethylene oxide) (PEG-DA/PEO) interpenetrating polymer network hydrogels (IPNH) were extruded into 1D filaments and 2D grids. The suitability of this system for enzyme immobilization and CO2 capture application was validated. IPNH chemical composition was verified spectroscopically using FTIR. The extruded filament had an average tensile strength of 6.5 MPa and elongation at break of 80%. IPNH filament can be twisted and bent and therefore is suitable for further processing using conventional textile fabrication methods. Initial activity recovery of the entrapped carbonic anhydrase (CA) calculated from esterase activity, showed a decrease with an increase in enzyme dose, while activity retention of high enzyme dose samples was over 87% after 150 days of repeated washing and testing. IPNH 2D grids that were assembled into spiral roll structured packings exhibited increased CO2 capture efficiency with increasing enzyme dose. Long-term CO2 capture performance of the CA immobilized IPNH structured packing was tested in a continuous solvent recirculation experiment for 1032 h, where 52% of the initial CO2 capture performance and 34% of the enzyme contribution were retained. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using rapid UV-crosslinking to form enzyme-immobilized hydrogels by a geometrically-controllable extrusion process that uses analogous linear polymers for both viscosity enhancement and chain entanglement purposes, and achieves high activity retention and performance stability of the immobilized CA. Potential uses for this system extend to 3D printing inks and enzyme immobilization matrices for such diverse applications as biocatalytic reactors and biosensor fabrication.
- The innovative research in carbon dioxide capture filters at NC State University involves the use of 3D printing to design materials, offering a potential game changer in the field of engineering.
- Jialong Shen, the lead researcher, states that with access to a printer and the necessary materials, individuals can create this functional material, which could revolutionize carbon capture technology.
- The NC State team filled a hydrogel material with carbonic anhydrase, an enzyme that aids in the reaction transforming CO2 and water into bicarbonate, using 3D printing as the manufacturing process.
- The filter, initially small, demonstrated impressive durability, retaining 52% of its initial carbon capture performance after over 1,000 hours of testing, suggesting its potential for increased efficiency with larger size.
- The study's co-author, Sonja Salmon, highlights the team's enthusiasm, expressing that their findings offer new ways to make materials for carbon capture devices, providing hope for the future of carbon capture.
- The research, still in its early stages, focuses on the use of 3D printing to design polymer-based materials for health-and-wellness, environmental-science, and materials science, envisioning a future where individuals participate in designing solutions for global warming and other environmental issues.
