Scientists at Washington University in St. Louis have developed a new, low-cost way to recycle waste carbon dioxide into valuable energy-rich compounds—an innovation that could make manufacturing more sustainable and environmentally friendly.
The research, led by Professor Feng Jiao from the McKelvey School of Engineering, shows that inexpensive materials called diaphragms can replace the costly, less durable membranes currently used in carbon recycling devices.
The study, published in Nature Communications, demonstrates that these simple porous materials can perform just as well—or even better—than traditional membranes when converting carbon dioxide (CO₂) into carbon monoxide (CO), a key step toward producing fuels and other useful chemicals from waste carbon.
Converting CO₂ into CO is an important process because carbon monoxide can be further transformed, using electricity, into energy-rich substances like methanol or hydrocarbons.
These compounds can serve as clean fuels or raw materials for industry.
However, the current technology relies on special membranes called anion exchange membranes to separate gases and ions during the conversion process.
Unfortunately, these membranes degrade quickly when exposed to organic materials and high temperatures, reducing efficiency and increasing costs.
To solve this problem, Jiao’s research team tested a variety of diaphragms—porous separators commonly used in other industrial systems—to see if they could provide a more stable and affordable alternative.
Diaphragms are simpler in design and made from low-cost materials that can withstand harsh conditions.
After extensive testing, the researchers discovered that a particular diaphragm known as Zirfon, which contains zirconium dioxide, performed exceptionally well.
When used in a carbon monoxide electrolyzer—a device that drives the CO₂-to-CO conversion using electricity—the Zirfon-based system remained efficient for over 250 hours at 60°C, while the best commercial polymer membranes lasted only about 150 hours.
Even more impressively, a larger version of the Zirfon-based device ran steadily for 700 hours, showing that the technology can scale up for industrial use.
“These results show that diaphragms can be a scalable and durable solution for carbon monoxide conversion,” said Jiao. “They make the process cheaper and more compatible with renewable energy sources.”
The research represents a promising step toward building circular, sustainable manufacturing systems that reuse carbon instead of releasing it into the atmosphere.
By continuing to improve the efficiency and affordability of this technology, Jiao’s team hopes to bring the world closer to a future where industrial waste gases can be turned into clean, valuable products instead of pollution.
Source: Washington University in St. Louis.
