Coal-fired power stations are simple things, although they do leave immense problems behind. The polluting monsters create energy and carbon dioxide by burning carbon in the form of coal. Researchers at the University of Newcastle in Australia asked themselves a compelling question. Could we reverse engineer carbon from greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, they wondered?
Could We Make Batteries from Air if We Reverse Engineer Carbon?
The Newcastle University scientists are doing that in a way by creating new carbon for battery electrodes. Moreover, they are using abundant sunlight in the process to reverse engineer carbon from carbon dioxide according to team member Dr Jessica Allen.
This makes a pleasing change from mining graphite with the attendant negative environmental impact. Moreover we appear to have made a start to finding a useful purpose for the gas that is suffocating our planet. A small-scale start yes, but at least we could be doing something useful with the most unfortunate side-effect of human activity.
Dr Jessica Allen’s Work on Carbon Fuel Cells
How the Carbon-Dioxide Reverse Engineering Process Works
Carbon dioxide, as the name suggests comprises molecules of carbon and oxygen. Phys.Org says the researchers super heat the gas together with certain “chemical intermediates” by applying heat from the sun. This converts the carbon molecules back to pure carbon with oxygen as the only by-product.
“This method allows us to make carbon which is even better at storing electrical energy than the mined graphite,” team member Dr Jessica Allen says. Moreover, it enhances the performance and stability of the final batteries we produce.
“This is just one example of how solar manufacturing could be a game changer for Australian industry, and allow us to export high-value products derived from our nation’s biggest untapped resource – the sun.”
Being able to reverse engineer carbon this way is a small but significant step towards using batteries for storage. This is one of the most interesting developments this year, because it is drop-in progress.
Related
Where The Carbon Dioxide We Cause Comes From
Reverse Engineering Carbon Pollution Out of the Atmosphere
Preview Image: Dr Jessica Allen
Video Share Link: https://youtu.be/IF4rAwn4bcE
