Demonstration project launched to convert carbon dioxide into carbonate for industrial use

By Lim Chang-won Posted : April 15, 2022, 14:20 Updated : April 15, 2022, 14:22

[Courtesy of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups]

SEOUL -- A state demonstration project was launched to upcycle and convert carbon dioxide into carbonate by using exhaust gas from steel slag at a regulation-free special zone in the southeastern industrial port city of Ulsan. The project is part of efforts to introduce carbon capture, utilization and storage technologies more widely for industrial use.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said the Ulsan city government has won approval through a regulatory sandbox policy that exempts regulations to demonstrate the conversion of carbon dioxide in exhaust gas into calcium carbonate.

Low-quality calcium carbonate will be used as construction materials such as concrete for road pavement and artificial aggregates. High-purity calcium carbonate will be used for chemical materials for paper, fiber, dustproof rubber, and synthetic resins. 

Carbon mineralization is an emerging approach to removing carbon dioxide from the air and storing it in the form of carbonate minerals. In December 2021, SK Materials joined hands with Korea South-East Power (KOEN), a public electricity supplier, to produce construction aggregates by mineralizing carbon dioxide contained in the exhaust gas discharged from a power plant in the southern port city of Yeosu.

Lotte Chemical unveiled a project in February 2022 to produce high-purity organic solvents, such as ethylene carbonate and dimethyl carbonate, which are used for lithium-ion battery electrolytes, by capturing and liquidating carbon dioxide.
 
The Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) has developed a solid carbonation module device that can effectively extract carbon dioxide from industrial exhaust gas and byproducts to create calcium carbonate. The device can be connected to factory chimneys or use gas extracted from industrial byproducts to collect CO2. Byproducts are recycled and recreated into other materials.
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