{"id":163912,"date":"2025-06-04T07:37:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-04T05:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/?p=163912"},"modified":"2025-05-30T11:56:23","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T09:56:23","slug":"combining-electrochemical-co2-reduction-with-industrial-processes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/combining-electrochemical-co2-reduction-with-industrial-processes\/","title":{"rendered":"Combining electrochemical CO2\u00a0reduction with industrial processes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

The carbon cycle can be closed with the help of electrochemical CO2<\/sub> reduction: Unavoidable emissions from concrete production or waste incineration become CO \u2013 and thus the starting point for chemicals or fuels. However, there is a hurdle lurking in the industrial application of this technology: It is not (yet) compatible with the existing infrastructure. Researchers at Fraunhofer UMSICHT and Ruhr University Bochum have developed a possible solution: a new reactor that efficiently converts CO2<\/sub> using pressurized CO2<\/sub> and pure water.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Differential-Zero-Gap-Reaktor<\/a>
Researchers unveil a new reactor that efficiently converts carbon dioxide (CO2<\/sub>) into valuable chemicals using pressurized CO2<\/sub>\u00a0and pure water. \u00a9 Fraunhofer UMSICHT\/Mike Henning<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
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“CO2\u00a0<\/sub>is already an integral part of many industrial processes such as natural gas reforming, ethylene oxide production and oxyfuel combustion,” explains Prof. Ulf-Peter Apfel<\/strong>, head of department\u00a0Electrosynthesis\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0at Fraunhofer UMSICHT<\/strong> and the Inorganic Chemistry research group at Ruhr University Bochum<\/strong>. “In these processes, the CO\u2082 is either pressurized immediately afterwards or compressed to higher pressures for storage and transport. The depressurization of these CO2\u00a0<\/sub>streams for use in CO2\u00a0<\/sub>electrolysis makes the integration of electrolytic technologies more difficult and leads to further energy losses.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

To avoid this step, the researchers have developed a zero-gap reactor for CO\u2082 electrolysis that can be operated with a differential pressure of up to 40 bar. It is based on a new design and includes, among other things, a new mechanically stable proton exchange membrane with a thin anionic top layer. This new system enables the production of carbon building blocks at differential pressures of 40 bar(g) and at the same time simplifies the design of the electrolyzer, as only pure water is used at the anode. Further highlights:<\/p>\n\n\n\n