che_november-2024 - 6

Process for electrolytically converting CO2 to carbon materials
to be scaled up
W
ith a recent round of investment funding, UP
Catalyst (Tallinn, Estonia; www.upcatalyst.
com) plans to build a pilot plant for a process
that converts waste carbon dioxide
into a range of solid carbon materials, such as carbon
nanotubes, (CNTs), graphite and carbon black. The pilot
plant, anticipated to start up before the end of 2025,
will produce about 100 kg/day of solid carbon, a factor
of 10 greater than the current pre-pilot production,
says Sebastian Pohlmann, chief technology officer at
UP Catalyst.
UP Catalyst's process uses molten carbonate salt to
dissolve CO2 from hard-to-abate industrial processes,
such as waste incineration. To work effectively, the CO2
must first be purified to above 98% via an amine wash.
Once purified, CO2 is pumped into the molten salt, where
an electric current is applied across electrodes in the salt.
In order to synthesize certain carbon allotropes, a metallic
catalyst is also present in the molten salt. The applied
current drives an electrolysis reaction where CO2 is split
into O2, which is released, and solid carbon, which accumulates
on the cathode of the reactor cell, and is mechanically
removed.
" By carefully controlling the reaction conditions, including
temperature, as well as which catalysts and electrolytes
are used, we can dictate the properties of the
resulting solid carbon products, and we are aiming for
production at price parity for traditional carbon sources, "
says Pohlmann.
Among the key engineering challenges UP Catalyst
overcame in developing the process is an effective
method of introducing the catalyst into the system that
avoids having the metals end up in the solid carbon
products. Also, the company developed a method for
recovering and recycling the molten salt as the reactor
A nearly universal electrolyte chemistry for safer, longerlasting
batteries
T
6
he electrolytes used in nearly all lithium-ion and
sodium-ion batteries are carbonate-based, which
makes them flammable and prone to degradation
mechanisms, including side reactions, which
can result in gas evolution and the formation of undesirable
chemicals like hydrogen fluoride. A proprietary, nonflammable
electrolyte developed by Elementium Materials,
Inc. (Somerville, Mass.; www.elementium.io) avoids
such failure mechanisms and is said to be compatible
with nearly any battery chemistry, while also providing a
higher energy density.
" Our electrolyte technology is compatible with legacy
electrode materials like LFP [lithium-iron-phosphate] and
graphite, and also with emerging electrode chemistries,
including silicon-based, manganese-rich and high-nickel
formulations, as well as sodium-ion and semi-solid-state
applications, " explains Matthew Dawson, CEO of Elementium
Materials.
The key to the electrolyte and its near-universal compatibility
is a novel sulfonamide-based solvent system
and a relatively simple, single-step, liquid-phase synthesis
platform that doesn't require particularly high temperature
or pressure. " We have a very scalable synthesis
process, and currently, we just make whatever we need
for our validation projects in 1-kg batches. We have plans
in 2026 to build a 1 million-kg/yr commercial pilot plant
that would be able to service about half a gigawatt-hour
worth of batteries, " says Dawson.
Because batteries using this electrolyte are more stable
and have a longer lifespan, they can be operated
at higher voltage, using the electrode material more efficiently,
resulting overall in smaller and lower-cost batteries.
Elementium validated its electrolyte in third-party
pouch cells. " We tested pouch cells at 4.7 V with a major
automaker, using our electrolyte versus their conventional
systems, and observed significant improvements
in longevity and performance. We also have had tests in
sodium-ion batteries where we've shown the potential to
operate at 4.8 V very stably, whereas other similar batteries
traditionally operate at around 3.4 V, " adds Dawson.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM
NOVEMBER 2024
cell operates.
There are three general categories for the products
made by UP Catalyst's process: graphite for use in battery
electrodes for electric vehicle and stationary storage;
CNTs as additives for polymers, paints and cement; and
carbon black for paints and coatings.
" The process addresses two growth markets simultaneously, "
Pohlmann explains. " We are capturing carbon
that would otherwise end up in the atmosphere, and upcycling
it to produce solids that fit into a range of performance
materials. "
The carbon footprint associated with producing graphite
using UP Catalyst's process is 20 times lower than
conventional graphite production, according to UP Catalyst,
and emissions for making CNTs are 242 times lower
than emissions from the traditional chemical vapor deposition
method.
UP Catalyst
http://www.upcatalyst.com http://www.elementium.io http://WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM
che_november-2024

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