Inside E-MRS World - Vol. 3 / No. 3 - December 2024
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Carbon Dioxide Recycling: A Strategy for this Raw Material with the Development of CCU Ten Years After the STOA* Meeting Professors Jacques Amouroux, Sorbonne University, |
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It must be noted that the foundation of biodiversity and human existence relies heavily on one particular atom: carbon. Its various oxidation states give it the ability to store energy, making it the driving force of life on Earth.
Let us analyze the remarkable diversity of the carbon atom, focusing on its roles in energy storage and as fuel. Through photosynthesis, carbon is stored in different forms, including sugars, which eventually transform into starch, cellulose, and lignin. In some instances, microorganisms further break it down into smaller compounds like methane, stored in clathrates. This reaction chain, which involves enzymatic, photonic, and electrochemical processes, is crucial to energy storage.
The second major aspect of carbon’s role is in energy transfer to organisms or chemical processes via oxidation, an exothermic reaction that generates power. A basic example can be seen in how animals metabolize sugars and starches through enzymatic processes, releasing energy and producing CO2. This energy can also be stored in more complex forms, like amino acids and fatty acids. Each human emits about 20 litres of CO2 per hour.
Carbon structures undergo oxidation reactions that release energy, with one classic example being the combustion of cellulose and lignin for heat or to reduce metal oxides in metallurgy, such as in blast furnaces. However, it should be noted that the use of coal and coke, essential during the Industrial Revolution, has become a focal point of modern discussions due to the seven billion tons consumed annually, with a growth rate of two percent per year.
Addressing carbon management in a media context, driven by political agendas, complicates but also simplifies the process. Our objective here is to present CO2 recycling as a viable strategy. CO2, as a raw material essential to life, should be harnessed for recycling in areas conducive to innovation, ensuring its transition into an era of abundance and widespread availability (...)
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