Turning Carbon Dioxide into Useful Plastics

“Recently, it was reported that the levels of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in our atmosphere have reached an all-time high. Needless to say then, in addition to developing methods of reducing our emissions to avoid further increases in the levels of this ozone-harming molecule, it is also imperative that we find methods of utilising the waste CO₂ already present in our environment.

     It is the latter of these critical goals that we at Econic Technologies endeavour to achieve. At Econic, our innovative research is based around the development of new catalysts that can be used in the polymer industry. Catalysts are relatively simple molecules that are used in chemical reactions to speed up the rate of the reaction, allowing for chemicals to be synthesised, which would not otherwise be possible. Our catalysts facilitate reaction between CO₂ and a small reactive molecule known as an epoxide, such that an alternating chain of the two components is formed, a polymer. In the absence of the catalyst, the energy required for the reaction to occue would be too high, and the two components would simply not react.

     Using our methods, up to 40% CO₂ can be incorporated into the final polymer – a significant advantage to our environment! Even more beneficial is that the polymerisation process can be performed using unpurified waste CO₂, which reduces the use of fossil fuel chemicals, and contributes towards a greener economy and resource efficiency. One of the significant challenges facing the incorporation of CO₂ into materials is the costs associated with this process – typically, high temperature and pressures are required to obtain usable polymers, which decrease somewhat the overall carbon neutrality of the end product.

     The major advantage of Econic’s technology is that much lower temperature and pressure can be used to achieve successful polymerisation than those currently used industrially. With this polymer in hand (or rather in a reaction flask!), there are a number of potential applications for its use, the most prevalent of which is its incorporation into polyurethane. Polyurethane can be, perhaps surprisingly, found in all aspects of our lives, from the memory foam in our mattresses, the insulation throughout our houses, the soles of our trainers, the resins used to coat our sports gear, and all the way through to the adhesives used to build our homes.

     Clearly then, Econic’s technology and catalysts that allow for the incorporation of significant amounts of CO₂ into all of these aspects of our everyday lives is a step forward in our, and future generations’, environmental sustainability.”