About 30 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide generated each year by power plants, vehicle engines and industrial sources that use fossil fuels. Angela Belcher, a MIT engineer perform a new genetically engineering ordinary baker’s yeast, more beneficial in reducing the supply of carbon dioxide by turning it into solid carbonate that can be used for building construction.
In the laboratory, the scientists have managed to convert one pound of carbon dioxide into two pounds of carbonate. Carbon dioxide combines with the mineral ions to form solid carbonates. Belcher and her team drew inspiration from the shells of marine animals that build their own rock-solid carbon dioxide and mineral ions dissolved in seawater.
Using step to capture carbon dioxide in water and then the dissolved carbon dioxide is combined with mineral ions to form solid carbonates. Next, they hope to develop the process so it could be applied in power plants or industrial plants.
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If the carbonate they formed was CaCO3, it can easily be used as a performance additive in concrete. At 30 to 50 pounds per square yard, ultra fine CaCO3 enhances the strength of concrete by providing "seed" sites for C.S.H gel formation.
It's quite a remarkable effort for the MIT guys. This breakthrough will go along way to save our planet and will also develope the area of solid carbonate for building materials. I do hope you'll shed more light in your findings/breakthrough in any of the research conferences and journals. Keep up with the good work.
Interesting technology.
Have you seen www.greensols.com.au
They use a process to precipitate out of sea water, waste brine (eg. desalination plants), magnesium and calcium carbonate. This leaves the processed liquid hungry for carbon so it instantly begins absorbing CO2 produced by industrial plants or out of the atmosphere.
They too are a university group, but are much further along with their work and I understand the first commercial plant is to be ready by the end of this year.
It's great, but MIT is far from the first to do this... I read about this company over a year ago.. http://www.calera.com/
Stefan
www.s-mart.se
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