Open AccessA review of direct air capture (DAC): scaling up commercial technologies and innovating for the future
Author(s) -
Noah McQueen,
Katherine Vaz Gomes,
Colin McCormick,
Katherine Blumanthal,
Maxwell Pisciotta,
Jennifer Wilcox
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
progress in energy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2516-1083
DOI - 10.1088/2516-1083/abf1ce
Subject(s) - process engineering , process (computing) , scaling , mass transfer , technology transfer , contactor , computer science , environmental science , chemistry , engineering , thermodynamics , physics , knowledge management , power (physics) , geometry , mathematics , chromatography , operating system
Direct air capture (DAC) can provide an impactful, engineered approach to combat climate change by removing carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from the air. However, to meet climate goals, DAC needs to be scaled at a rapid rate. Current DAC approaches use engineered contactors filled with chemicals to repeatedly capture CO 2 from the air and release high purity CO 2 that can be stored or otherwise used. This review article focuses on two distinctive, commercial DAC processes to bind with CO 2 : solid sorbents and liquid solvents. We discuss the properties of solvents and sorbents, including mass transfer, heat transfer and chemical kinetics, as well as how these properties influence the design and cost of the DAC process. Further, we provide a novel overview of the considerations for deploying these DAC technologies, including concepts for learning-by-doing that may drive down costs and material requirements for scaling up DAC technologies.