Electrolyte and Product Separation in Molten Carbonate Decarbonization Electrolysis
摘要
Molten electrolysis of CO2, coupled with its conversion into graphene nanocarbons (GNCs), is an emerging method for decarbonizing both anthropogenic and atmospheric CO2. During this process, carbon from CO2 is reduced at the cathode, forming a carbanogel—a composite material consisting of GNCs, such as high-purity carbon nanotubes or carbon nano-onions, embedded in the molten electrolyte. By adjusting the electrolysis conditions, various forms of pure GNCs can be synthesized from CO2. An effective method for separating GNC products, such as carbon nanotubes, from the carbanogel formed at the cathode is presented. This is achieved by extracting the majority of the electrolyte for reuse in the electrolysis cell. The industrial-scale separation process is demonstrated, achieving a high extraction efficiency of 98.5% through filtration under elevated temperature and pressure conditions. Further optimization of (1) press time, (2) filtration pressure, (3) filter type, and (4) industrial scale-up results in incremental improvements in extraction efficiency.