Composite 3D-printed reactors for gas absorption, purification, and reaction
A composite material for gas capture, notably CO 2 capture and storage. The composite material includes a mixture of a solid or liquid reactive filler and a gas-permeable polymer such that the reactive filler forms micron-scale domains in the polymer matrix.
1. A reactor for removing carbon dioxide from a gas containing the carbon dioxide, comprising:
units of sorbent material;
a gas-permeable polymer;
a 3-D ink produced by mixing said units of sorbent material and said gas-permeable polymer;
a surface;
a 3-D print head that extrudes said 3-D ink onto said surface; and
a controller that controls said 3-D print head to extrude said 3-D ink onto said surface to form the reactor.
2. The reactor for removing carbon dioxide from a gas containing the carbon dioxide of claim 1 wherein said units of sorbent material are particles of carbon dioxide stripping material.
3. The reactor for removing carbon dioxide from a gas containing the carbon dioxide of claim 1 wherein said units of sorbent material are solid particle precursors to liquid units of carbon dioxide stripping material.
4. The reactor for removing carbon dioxide from a gas containing the carbon dioxide of claim 1 wherein said units of sorbent material are particles of carbon dioxide stripping material encapsulated in capsules.
5. The reactor for removing carbon dioxide from a gas containing the carbon dioxide of claim 1 wherein said units of sorbent material are particles of carbon dioxide stripping material encapsulated in spherical capsules that have a gas-permeable polymer surface layer encapsulating said particles of carbon dioxide stripping material.
6. The reactor for removing carbon dioxide from a gas containing the carbon dioxide of claim 1 wherein said units of sorbent material are liquid units of carbon dioxide stripping material.
7. The reactor for removing carbon dioxide from a gas containing the carbon dioxide of claim 1 wherein said units of sorbent material are liquid droplets of carbon dioxide stripping material encapsulated in capsules.
8. The reactor for removing carbon dioxide from a gas containing the carbon dioxide of claim 1 wherein said units of sorbent material are liquid droplets of carbon dioxide stripping material encapsulated in spherical capsules that have a gas-permeable polymer surface layer encapsulating said liquid droplets of carbon dioxide stripping material.
9. The reactor for removing carbon dioxide from a gas containing the carbon dioxide of claim 1 wherein said gas-permeable polymer comprises uncured silicone.
10. The reactor for removing carbon dioxide from a gas containing the carbon dioxide of claim 1 further comprising a device for curing said reactor after the said 3-D print head extrudes said 3-D ink onto said surface to form the reactor.