3D Printing Helps Develop New Carbon Dioxide Filtration Technology
Climate change is one of the most pressing issues humanity faces today. Its solution remains elusive due to various factors, including the excessive amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere, which causes the greenhouse effect and steadily heats the planet. Many scientists are actively working on this problem and are finding promising solutions. One such innovation was developed by specialists at North Carolina State University (USA). Researchers presented to the public a new technology for creating filters to absorb carbon dioxide using 3D printing.
Why Is CO₂ Filtration So Important?
One of the main causes of global warming is the excessive emission of CO₂ into the atmosphere, largely due to industrial activities, particularly oil use. According to the 2022 annual report by the Global Monitoring Laboratory of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the global average CO₂ level in the atmosphere reached 417.06 parts per million — a new record, exceeding pre-industrial levels by over 50%. Additionally, the excess carbon dioxide has increased ocean acidity by 30%.
This underscores the urgent need to develop effective methods for filtering CO₂ to purify the air and combat the harmful environmental effects.
The New Filtration Technology
The technology developed by American scientists involves 3D printing a special hydrogel material capable of retaining carbonic anhydrase — an enzyme that accelerates the reaction converting carbon dioxide and water into bicarbonate. Lead researcher Jialong Shen emphasizes that additive manufacturing (3D printing) makes this process much more precise and faster.
This groundbreaking method only requires raw materials and a 3D printer. The research team created a mechanically strong hydrogel that can be printed and extruded into a continuous filament.
How Are the 3D Printed CO₂ Filters Made?
The research team discovered that 3D printing allows for the faster and more efficient production of CO₂ filters compared to traditional methods. They developed a process that combines extrusion 3D printing with photopolymerization, resembling a material spraying technique.
- They first created special ink using two organic compounds and carbonic anhydrase.
- This ink was then used to produce filament-like hydrogel on a 2D grid, which was hardened using UV light.
The resulting hydrogel is not only suitable for continuous extrusion but is also strong enough for 3D printing. This innovation opens up new possibilities for creating more effective carbon capture systems.
Promising Results and Future Prospects
According to the research group’s press release, the team managed to capture 24% of the CO₂ from a gas mixture during their experiments. Although this result was lower than expected (due to the filter’s small size), the project demonstrated significant potential.
Tests showed that after 1,000 hours of operation, the filter retained more than half of its original effectiveness. Larger filters, or those with different shapes, could be produced and stacked to further improve CO₂ capture efficiency.
The researchers believe their filtration system is still in the early stages of development, but it has already proven to be effective and scalable.
