Microporous foam shows carbon capture promise

The hybrid material consists of a gelatine and cellulose foam infused with zeolites, crystalline structures made up of silicon, aluminium and oxygen. Zeolites have long been used as industrial adsorbents in processes such as petrochemical cracking and water purification. Combining them with an ultra-lightweight bio-based foam means their potential for carbon capture can now be exploited. The joint study from Chalmers University of Technology and Stockholm University is published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

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"In the new material, we took zeolites, which have excellent capabilities for capturing carbon dioxide, and combined them with gelatine and cellulose, which has strong mechanical properties,” said researcher Walter Rosas Arbelaez, a PhD student at Chalmers' Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering.

“Together, this makes a durable, lightweight, stable material with a high reusability. Our research has shown that the cellulose does not interfere with the zeolites' ability to adsorb carbon dioxide. The cellulose and zeolites together therefore create an environmentally friendly, affordable material."