Catalyst to convert CO2 to solid carbon

Liquid metal catalyst quickly coverts carbon dioxide into solid carbon

Researchers at RMIT have developed a new method for quickly converting carbon dioxide into solid carbon, which can be stored indefinitely or turned into useful materials. The technology works by bubbling CO₂ up through a tube of liquid metal, and it’s designed to be easy to integrate into the source of emissions.

The RMIT team’s new system uses liquid metal, specifically an alloy called Eutectic Gallium-Indium (EGaIn), which is heated to between 100 and 120 °C (212 and 248 °F). Then, carbon dioxide is injected into the mix, and as the bubbles rise, the CO₂ molecules split into flakes of solid carbon. These float to the top, making it easy to collect the material.

Solid carbon, on the other hand, is stable, and could be stored more or less indefinitely without risk of leakage. The team says this could be buried again, or, more promisingly, used for other industrial applications, such as making concrete.