An international consortium of researchers is working on a CO2-tackling solution that will utilize biochar made from fishing and aquaculture waste biomass.
The Portuguese-led team of scientists has joined forces in the AERO2cycle project, which aims to develop ultra-light and highly porous materials called hybrid aerogels that will incorporate biochar produced from fish by-products such as scales, skin, and bones.
Led by NOVA.ID.FCT, the project is funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and unites representatives from the University of Évora and B2E CoLAB, with scientific collaboration from the University of Santiago de Compostela and Universitat Jaume I.
To create the novel solution, the biochar will be combined with poly(ionic liquid), CO2- reactive polymers, resulting in hybrid materials capable of capturing and converting carbon dioxide.
Using 3D printing technology, the team will structure these hybrid materials, laying the foundation for the creation of reactors applicable to different industrial environments and enabling a future integration into carbon capture systems.
According to the team behind this innovation, the technology they are currently developing will be compatible with industrial gas treatment systems, where they will serve to capture CO2 from production emission streams.
In a broader sense, this could translate into usage in sectors such as energy and cement, as well as applications in the chemical industry or at waste-to-energy plants.
As part of the AERO2cycle project, the team will also explore the possibility of converting the captured CO2 into industrially useful chemical compounds.
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If testing is successful, the resulting chemical compounds could be used to create ingredients for cosmetic formulations, sustainable polymeric materials, or components needed for energy storage technologies. This, in turn, would mean that the project is contributing to new value chains based on captured CO2.
So far, the team clarifies that these novel systems have been validated on a laboratory scale.
Looking ahead, the AERO2cycle consortium will work on advancing this innovation towards future industrial integrations, optimizing the system performance, and testing functionality in different conditions closer to operational environments.
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