Two of our biggest environmental problems are the tons of unusable plastic waste, and the tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) which are released into the atmosphere in smokestack emissions. A new process is claimed to use the former to trap the latter.
The procedure begins with plastic waste being ground into a powder, after which it's mixed with potassium acetate – that's the unique part – and then heated at 600 ºC (1,112 ºF) for 45 minutes. Doing so renders the plastic powder into sorbent particles filled with nanoscale pores, which are very effective at trapping airborne carbon dioxide molecules.
The procedure begins with plastic waste being ground into a powder, after which it's mixed with potassium acetate – that's the unique part – and then heated at 600 ºC (1,112 ºF) for 45 minutes. Doing so renders the plastic powder into sorbent particles filled with nanoscale pores, which are very effective at trapping airborne carbon dioxide molecules.