TECHNOLOGY LICENSING OPPORTUNITY Innovative Carbon Capture Membranes from Low Concentration CO2 Emission Sources A new membrane material for CO2 capture that, is defect-free, self-guttering, durable, and manufacturable with very high selectivity. Image is an illustrative example of a cell membrane, not an actual representation of the technology. Opportunity: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), managed and operated by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (BEA), is offering the opportunity to enter into a license and/or collaborative research agreement to commercialize this new CO2 selectivity membrane. This technology transfer opportunity is part of a dedicated effort to convert government-funded research into job opportunities, businesses and ultimately an improved way of life for the American people. Overview: Developing new materials and systems for CO2 enrichment, capture, and utilization are urgently needed to solve/manage the global warming problem. Historically, carbon capture from low-concentration industrial sources has been very expensive. Membranes shows promise as an efficient method for carbon dioxide enrichment; however, the effectiveness of membrane technologies drops with decreasing CO2 concentration. This is driven primarily by membrane defects which significantly impact membrane selectivity at low CO2 concentrations. If membranes can be manufactured without such defects, cost-effective capture of CO2 from the air can be realized. Description: Researchers at Idaho National Laboratory have developed an innovative and highly scalable membrane material that is defect-free, self-guttering, durable and manufacturable to achieve very high selectivity for carbon dioxide over nitrogen (>40). The material is a multi-layer membrane consisting of a support that gives large porosity and gas throughput and a selective layer that patches support layer defects (pinholes) and provides high selectivity and permeability for carbon dioxide. Benefits: • Material acts as both gutter layer and selective layer, thus enhancing CO2 selectivity while minimizing pinholes common in other commercial membranes. • Elimination of pinholes enhances membrane performance well beyond that of existing membranes. • Could reduce the cost of captured CO2 by more than 50%. Applications: • CO2 separation from air and other low concentration sources. Development Status: TRL 3, currently undergoing proof-of-concept work. IP Status: PCT Application No. PCT/US23/66970, “Carbon Dioxide Selective Membranes, Gas Separation Systems Including the Carbon Dioxide Selective Membranes, and Related Methods,” BEA Docket No. BA-1358. Additional Information: Birendra Adhikari, Christopher J. Orme, Caleb Stetson, John R. Klaehn, Techno-economic analysis of carbon dioxide capture from low concentration sources using membranes, Chemical Engineering Journal, Volume 474, 2023, 145876, ISSN 1385-8947, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2023.145876. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1385894723046077) INL is seeking to license the above intellectual property to a company with a demonstrated ability to bring such inventions to the market. Exclusive rights in defined fields of use may be available. Added value is placed on relationships with small businesses, start-up companies, and general entrepreneurship opportunities. Please visit Technology Deployment’s website at https://inl.gov/inl-initiatives/technology-deployment for more information on working with INL and the industrial partnering and technology transfer process. Companies interested in learning more about this licensing opportunity should contact Andrew Rankin at
[email protected].