Background

Due to the current climate crisis, the US has deployed a financial incentive of $130-180 per ton of CO2 removed using direct air capture (DAC) technology. DAC is a form of CO2 removal from the air.  

There are many different methods of creating sorbents for DAC. Binder jetting is a 3D printing manufacturing process capable of producing parts in almost any shape and size from almost any materials. Currently, sorbents from binder jetting do not have sufficient mechanical strength to directly serve in applications. Sintering, which involves making a powdered material coalesce into a solid by heating, is often performed to strengthen the green parts. However, sintering is not applicable to sorbents for DAC, which are extremely sensitive.

Invention Description

Researchers at Arizona State University have developed a new technology that utilizes chemical grafting for binder jetting to produce strong green parts directly. Chemical grafting is a chemical process that attaches side chains to main polymer chain using covalent bonds. This allows the properties of a material to be altered such as its mechanical strength.

Potential Applications:

• Binder jetting machine manufacturing
• Material manufacturer- ceramics, metals, and polymers
• Gas separation (include DAC)
• Water treatment
• Catalysts
• Tooling

Benefits and Advantages:

• Stronger green parts
• Low energy consumption
• Low operational costs
• Low capital costs
• Bypasses the need for high-temperature thermal processing