Affiliation:
1. Department of Chemistry Rice University 6100 Main Street Houston TX 77005 USA
2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Rice University 6100 Main Street Houston TX 77005 USA
3. Department of Mechanical Engineering Rice University 6100 Main Street Houston TX 77005 USA
4. Smalley‐Curl Institute, NanoCarbon Center, and the Rice Advanced Materials Institute Rice University 6100 Main Street Houston TX 77005 USA
5. Department of Materials Science and Nano Engineering Rice University 6100 Main Street Houston TX 77005 USA
Abstract
AbstractCO2 emissions have become a significant environmental problem over the last few decades, often stemming from combustion of fossil fuels. Production and disposal of waste plastic also contribute greatly to greenhouse gas emissions, due to combustion of fossil fuels during manufacture and incineration or pyrolysis of the waste materials. Hence, researchers have begun developing technologies geared toward the capture, sequestration, and utilization of CO2. Several methods are shown to be useful for conversion of gaseous CO2 into solid carbon feedstocks, such as molten carbonate electrolysis. At the same time, flash Joule heating can rapidly and inexpensively convert carbon‐rich feedstocks into flash graphene (FG). Here, amorphous carbon derived from molten carbonate electrolysis of carbon dioxide is converted into FG, sometimes in combination with waste plastic, and demonstrated for use as a reinforcing additive in composite applications. FG can be used in epoxy and vinyl ester resins with a maximum increase in Young's modulus and hardness of 73% and 73%, respectively. Life cycle assessment also shows that adding 5 wt% 25:75 amorphous carbon‐derived FG to the epoxy results in 7.7%, 5%, and 2.7% decreases in CO2 emissions, water consumption, and energy consumption, respectively.
Funder
National Science Foundation
Air Force Office of Scientific Research
Subject
Materials Chemistry,Polymers and Plastics,Organic Chemistry,General Chemical Engineering