Researchers Testing Air-cleaning Technology, Carbon Storage

Researchers Testing Air-cleaning Technology, Carbon Storage

A company in California is working with another in Canada to collect carbon dioxide (C02) and put it into new concrete. Carbon dioxide is a major polluter. The waste gas traps heat in the atmosphere, creating what is called the greenhouse effect.

The companies are Heirloom Carbon Technologies based in San Francisco and CarbonCure Technologies of Halifax, Nova Scotia. They work on carbon dioxide capture systems. Their work supports the results of a study from the United Nations. It found that removing carbon dioxide from the air is as important to climate health as reducing the production of the gas.

Some companies have systems that can remove carbon dioxide from the air. But then, the question is, where do you put it?

Heirloom recently collected 30 kilograms of carbon dioxide gas from the air and transported it to Central Concrete. Central Concrete was able to put the gas into a new kind of concrete. The joint¹ effort between Heirloom and CarbonCure was the first time that carbon dioxide taken from the atmosphere using such Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology had been secured in concrete, several scientists said. The waste gas will stay there for hundreds of years, they added.

The amount of carbon dioxide the partners captured amounted to about as much as a car would produce in about 120 kilometers of operation.

Julio Friedman is the top scientist at a company called Carbon Direct. It helps businesses reduce the amount of carbon dioxide they produce.

He noted² that the amount of CO2 contained in the project is extremely small compared to the overall amount that needs to removed. But, "that's how it starts," he said.

Shashank Samala is Heirloom's chief. He explained the process, which involves limestone³. "Limestone has this natural ability to pull carbon out of the atmosphere," he said, adding "what we do here is just give it more superpowers."

Heirloom heats crushed limestone, which releases the carbon dioxide it contains. Then the limestone can capture more gas in the same way a sponge takes in water. The company then repeats the process multiple times to collect more of the polluting gas.

CarbonCure mixes the gas with concrete's ingredients, which makes a stronger final product. The concrete does not even require cement, a usual additive⁴ to concrete. This helps also in the fight against carbon dioxide as cement production requires a lot of energy.

CarbonCure also adds the gas to water that had been used to wash out concrete trucks. That water then helps create more concrete.

The technology is promising⁵ but would require widespread use to to make a real difference in pollution levels. Samala guessed it would cost hundreds of millions or billions of dollars to establish enough centers and systems.

He said he thinks companies that work in other pollution-reducing areas will support carbon capture projects like his.

Building is a very polluting industry. Concrete alone accounts for eight percent of the world's carbon dioxide production. The leader of CarbonCure said the new processes would reduce concrete's carbon production by about five percent.

Anu Khan is a science director at Carbon180, a group that works to reduce carbon pollution. He called the technology "a really thoughtful way to get around the current bottleneck⁶ of storage" for captured carbon.

Words in This Story

superpower –n. usually a fictional⁷ person who has special abilities that humans do not have, like superman

sponge –n. a piece of light natural or artificial material that becomes soft when it is wet, is able to take in and hold liquid, and is used for washing or cleaning

bottleneck –n. something that slows down a process

1 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

2 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

3 limestone   

n.石灰石

参考例句：

• Limestone is often used in building construction.石灰岩常用于建筑。
• Cement is made from limestone.水泥是由石灰石制成的。

4 additive   

adj.附加的；n.添加剂

参考例句：

• Colour is often an additive in foods.颜料经常是各种食物中的添加物。
• Strict safety tests are carried out on food additives.对食品添加剂进行了严格的安全检测。

5 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

6 bottleneck   

n.瓶颈口，交通易阻的狭口；妨生产流程的一环

参考例句：

• The transportation bottleneck has blocked the movement of the cargo.运输的困难阻塞了货物的流通。
• China's strained railroads already become a bottleneck for the economy.中国紧张的铁路运输已经成为经济增长的瓶颈。

7 fictional   

adj.小说的，虚构的

参考例句：

• The names of the shops are entirely fictional.那些商店的名字完全是虚构的。
• The two authors represent the opposite poles of fictional genius.这两位作者代表了天才小说家两个极端。