Environmentally friendly method can separate and recycle refrigerants that are bound to the climate crisis

A study published in the journal Science progress From researchers at the University of Kansas, a new environmentally friendly method for the separation of chemicals, which were found on an industrial scale in common refrigerants on joint refrigerants.

“The motivation of this work is to enable the separation of highly complex gaseous refrigerant mixtures” Petroleum Engineering. “These efforts were carried out by climate crime, which carry out certain refrigerants of the hydrofluoro floors (HFC).”

The most important innovation of the paper uses membranes – amorphous fluorinated polymers that are specific – that isolating complex coldly mixed. Other separation methods such as distillation are less effective due to the complex composition of the mixtures. Harders said that the membranes are made to go through some gases and limit others – which leads to effective cleaning.

In order to demonstrate that the technology could scale industrial livelihood, the team, which has associated many with the wonderful Institute for Sustainable Engineering from KU, developed a tailor -made process to create and compound submicronic coatings on the porous supports of the membrane To create hollow fibers. The results show a functional prototype that proves the use of technology for companies in coldizers and reuse.

Harder cited international agreements and laws such as the Kigali change of the Montreal Protocol and the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act, which will compensate for HFC production as an ultimate solution for atmospheric warming by refrigerants. In the meantime, however, solutions are needed for responsible with complex gases in existing devices for landfill sponsorship around the world, she said.

For example, according to the US environmental protection authority, the most frequently used refrigerant in MVAC systems is a “strong greenhouse gas with a global heating potential that is 1.430 times the CO value, which is from Co.₂. “

According to the harder economically viable solutions to recycling the heat trapping gases, more are held from them from releasing the earth's atmosphere.

“A large percentage of colds is not recovered today – it is simply ventilated to the atmosphere,” she said. “Much of it occurs when the equipment is shut down. In some cases, the restoration of the refrigerant may not appear worthwhile, or those who are responsible for restoring finally licks into the atmosphere.

The Ku researcher said she hoped that the method that she has largely developed at KU could help close the gap before the next generation of refrigerants.

“In order to increase reusability and to enable the extraction and recycling of HFC refrigerants of units at the end of life, it is important to separate them effectively so that they can be cleaned and reintroduced into the market,” she said. “At the moment, this cannot achieve any existing industrial technology. These refrigerants form complex mixtures that cannot be separated with conventional heat-burned methods such as distillation.”

Today Harders works as a chemical engineer and head of research and development at the Icorium Engineering, based in Lawrence, a startup that emerged from the Shiflett research group in the KU innovation park. While Icorium focuses on the separation of refrigerants using ionic liquids, the new method, which is shown in hardening paper, offers a new tool for the industry.

“Part of Abby Ph.D. Research on the KU is now translated into the startup company,” said Shiflett, who co-founded Icorium and is now acting as a chief science office. “Abby also has a fascinating training in chemical engineering.

“She was a great student who received the Chancellor's doctoral student for her doctoral thesis and graduated with a 4.0 gpa at the top of her class. She published 10 papers and is co-inventor during a patent application. say that I am very proud of you and your research.

Härter and Shiflet's co-authors on the newspaper were Luke Wallisch, Michael Lundin and Ed Atchison from the wonderful Institute for Sustainable Engineering at the KU, Chloe Le from California Polytechnic State University, Gabrielle Zaher from the University of Washington and Whitney White from Warren, Gabrielle , Chromis Technologies in New Jersey.

For hardeners, the generation of which has even more serious challenges due to a warming climate, has the chance to bring their technical know -how to combat the climate crisis that has personal meaning.

“I have the feeling that I do work that will not only affect myself or future children that I might have, but also something that hopefully can influence a lot of human life,” she said. “It really helps me to stay motivated, not to be burned out, because what I do actually do what it intends and make the effects we should have.”