Carbon Capture: A Solution-Based Answer

Abstract

Climate change is a very real issue that needs real solutions. One can see that as a society we are beginning to make changes for the better such as a push for renewable energy and electric cars. However, I believe that we need to do more. That is why for the fall 2021 Undergrad Research Opportunity Program I participated in research regarding carbon capture. I studied a solution-based carbon capture method. This process included two main parts, absorption, and desorption. In the absorption step, my main goal was to maximize the amount of carbon the solution could capture. Then during the desorption step, I was focusing on releasing the carbon from the solution. Currently, the most accepted ways of doing this require quite a bit of heat and energy to collect and isolate the carbon. That is why the main goal of my research was to find a combination of compounds and materials that aid in both the absorption step and the desorption step so that it would require less energy. I tested many mixtures throughout the fall semester by trying many different variations of compounds. In my presentation, I will show solutions of which had the most positive results and how they were achieved.