Sorbent Polymer Composite for Controlled Expansion in Direct Air Capture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies for direct air capture (DAC) of carbon dioxide face challenges in efficiently and effectively capturing CO2 from the atmosphere, particularly in addressing distributed emissions and achieving negative emissions.
Innovation Solution
The development of sorbent polymer composite articles that include expandable and compressible particles within a polymer region, allowing for controlled swelling and desorption processes, enhancing material durability and cycle lifetime during DAC events.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If sorbent particles are allowed to swell freely upon contact with water, then adsorption capacity is improved, but material structural integrity deteriorates and cycle lifetime is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating different regions within the sorbent composite: hydrophilic regions that allow water penetration and swelling for CO2 adsorption, and hydrophobic regions that maintain structural integrity and prevent excessive expansion. This spatial differentiation of properties enables simultaneous achievement of high adsorption capacity and material durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining multiple components with complementary properties: hydrophilic sorbent particles for CO2 capture, hydrophobic matrix material for structural support, and bonding agents to maintain integrity. This composite structure resolves the contradiction by allowing localized swelling while maintaining overall structural stability for long-term cycling.
2Quantity of substance
If sorbent particles swell to increase volume, then CO2 adsorption surface area is improved, but control over expansion is lost and system design flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates directional control over swelling by positioning hydrophilic regions at specific locations within the composite structure. This allows the sorbent to expand locally in directions that maintain system compatibility, providing both increased surface area and predictable dimensional changes for system design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms where the swelling of sorbent particles is monitored and used to control system operations. The expansion feedback allows the system to automatically regulate adsorption cycles, maintaining optimal performance while providing design flexibility through controlled, measurable changes.
3Stability of the object's composition
If material is designed to resist swelling, then structural stability is improved, but CO2 adsorption efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by creating local quality differentiation where hydrophobic regions provide structural stability and resist swelling, while hydrophilic regions locally facilitate water penetration and CO2 adsorption. This spatial separation allows the material to maintain overall structural integrity while achieving high adsorption efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials with complementary properties: structurally stable hydrophobic matrix material that resists swelling, combined with hydrophilic sorbent particles that efficiently adsorb CO2. The composite structure enables simultaneous achievement of structural stability and high adsorption efficiency through the synergistic properties of its components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
These composite articles enable efficient CO2 adsorption and desorption, maintaining a constant polymer volume, and allowing for controlled material growth, which improves durability and identifies optimal regeneration conditions, thereby enhancing the overall efficiency of DAC systems.
Implementation Method 1
the material swells via contact with water or other liquids
Implementation Method 2
The plurality of expandable particles impart a force to the plurality of compressible particles when the plurality of expandable particles transition from the first configuration
Implementation Method 3
compress the plurality of compressible particles from the second configuration of the plurality of compressible particles to the first configuration
Implementation Method 4
the sorbent articles are configured to adsorb CO2 during adsorption processes, such as during direct air capture (DAC) of CO2
Implementation Method 5
desorption processes, enhancing material durability and cycle lifetime during DAC events
Data Source
AI summary
Sorbent polymer composite articles are disclosed herein. The article includes a polymer region having a constant volume, a plurality of expandable particles disposed within the polymer region, and a plurality of compressible particles disposed within the polymer region. The expandable particles and the compressible particles have a first configuration with a first total volume of the respective particles and a second configuration with a second total volume of the respective particles greater than the first total volume. The expandable particles impart a force to the compressible particles when the expandable particles transition from the first configuration to the second configuration to compress the compressible particles from the second configuration to the first configuration to maintain the constant volume of the polymer region.