Carbon Capture Chalk From CO2
Anthony Butterfield Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Utah
Based on a Teaching Module Developed by Alissa Park
Developed by The NSF Research Coordination Network on CCUS
http://www.aiche.org/ccus-network
http://www.che.utah.edu/outreach/module?p_id=36
Safety
• Everyone put on:
– A pair of safety glass.
– A pair of gloves.
Phenol Red CaCl2 Na2CO3
Why Care About Atmospheric CO2?
Global Temperatures & CO2 Correlation…
Greenhouse Effect?
Venus - Surface T = 863 °F - Atmosphere: 96% - CO2
3.5% - N2 0.5% - Other
- One generally unpleasant planet
T=15 °C T=5,500 °C
Why Does CO2 Trap Energy?
Carbon Capture in Nature
Tien Son Cave in Phong Nha-Ke Bang Nitzana Chalk Curves
Western Negev, Israel Author: Yuvalr
Trapping CO2 in Water
Phenol Red
W h y ?
𝑃𝑖 = 𝐾𝐻𝑖𝐶𝑖
O2, 18.5
N2, 78.5
CO2, 4 Other, 1
O2, 21
N2, 78
CO2, 0.03 Other, 1
Henry’s Law Reaction Equilibrium
𝐶𝑂2 +𝐻2𝑂 𝐻2𝐶𝑂3
Human Breath Air
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eemcNjfR0No
Materials
Weigh Out Reactants
• 8g of CaCl2.
• 8g of Na2CO3 (or a 1:1 stoichiometric ratio).
Dissolve Salts in Separate 20 ml of Water
Temperature?
Mix the Two Solutions
Viscosity?
Precipitate?
The Reaction?
http://www.che.utah.edu/~tony/OTM/MolKinetics/
𝑁𝑎2𝐶𝑂3(𝑎𝑞) + 𝐶𝑎𝐶𝑙2
(𝑎𝑞) 2𝑁𝑎𝐶𝑙(𝑎𝑞) + 𝐶𝑎𝐶𝑂3(𝑠)
The Intermediate Gel?
+ Cl-Ca2+Cl- 2Na+Cl- +
The Intermediate Gel?
Filter Out the Solid Product
Dry the Filtered Product
What Would the Chemical Engineer Do?
Process Scale-Up
Author Yuri Raysper
• Chemical engineers make products on a large scale, efficiently and safely.
• We have big toys.
Vs.
Going from CO2 to Chalk
CO2(g) ↔ CO2
(aq)
CO2(aq) + H2O ↔ H2CO3
(aq)
2 NaOH(aq) + H2CO3(aq) → Na2CO3
(aq) + 2 H2O
Na2CO3(aq) + CaCl2
(aq) → CaCO3(s) + 2 NaCl(aq)
CO2(g) + 2 NaOH(aq) + CaCl2
(aq) → CaCO3(s) + 2 NaCl(aq) + H2O
What Would It Take to Capture Your Carbon?
• Carbon footprint calculator:
– http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/ind-calculator.html
– https://www.google.com/search?q=carbon+footprint+calculator
• If you don’t know an answer use the given American household average.
Average American 83,000 lbs CO2/yr
What Would It Take to Capture Your Carbon?
• If we use this set of reactions:
How much reactants will we need to use in your personal carbon sequester plant each day?
CO2(g) + 2 NaOH(aq) + CaCl2
(aq) → CaCO3(s) + 2 NaCl(aq) + H2O
Formula MW (g/mol)
CO2 44
NaOH 40
CaCl2 111
CaCO3 100
NaCl 58.4
H2O 18
83,000 lbs/yr 3.76e7 g/yr
Process 1
Process 2 Process 3
Process 4
Stuff 1
Stuff 3
Stuff 2
Stuff 4
Stuff 5
Stuff 6
Stuff 8
Stuff 9
Stuff 7
What It Might Look Like…
Who Has the Best Design?
Design Your Carbon Capture Plant some things to consider…
• What process do you need to get CO2 out of the air and into water?
• What should you use to mix the two solutions you mixed today, and how big should it be?
• How are you going to separate your chalk product apart from the salt water product?
• How can you ensure complete reactions?
• How can you save on resources? Recycle?
Other CM-Related K-12 Modules
• Photobioreactors.
• Fermentation.
• Biodiesel.
• Fuel Cells.
• Stirling Engines.
http://www.che.utah.edu/outreach/teaching_modules
Photobioreactors & Fermenters
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R0Rre07kNE
http://www.che.utah.edu/outreach/module?p_id=29 http://www.che.utah.edu/outreach/module?p_id=19
Biodiesel
http://www.che.utah.edu/outreach/module?p_id=12
Fuel Cells
http://www.che.utah.edu/outreach/module?p_id=15
http://www.che.utah.edu/outreach/module?p_id=30
K-12 Carbon Capture Chalk From CO2
Anthony Butterfield Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Utah
Based on a Teaching Module Developed by Alissa Park
Developed by The NSF Research Coordination Network on CCUS
http://www.aiche.org/ccus-network
http://www.che.utah.edu/outreach/module?p_id=36
