Braskem to Study CO₂ Capture and Conversion Method for Ethylene Production

Braskem has joined the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), in the United States, to research a development route for ethylene, a raw material used in the production of thermoplastic resins, applying capture technology and use of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emitted in industrial processes.

UIC's disruptive technology in partnership with Braskem has great global potential for industrial applications, by connecting the production of polymers to the capture and conversion of CO₂, one of the components of the greenhouse effect and one of the main contributors to climate change.

Project is in Initial Stage of Development

The project is in its initial stage of development and Braskem will have the mission of combining its know-how in the commercialization of raw materials and production of polymers with the theme to scale the technology, contributing to the validation of theoretical and experimental studies, produced by the university.

"Reducing carbon emissions is a fundamental premise to combat climate change, a commitment that is part of our macro-objectives for sustainable development. The objective of the partnership with the University of Illinois in Chicago, is to evaluate the possibility of capturing and converting the CO₂ emitted in our industrial operation to make it a raw material in our polymer production processes ", says Luiz Alberto Falcon, responsible for Braskem's recycling platform.

Partnership for Development of a Sustainable Technology

According to Professor Meenesh Singh, responsible for the project at the University of Illinois at Chicago, the partnership with Braskem will contribute to the development of an integrated, sustainable and energy-efficient technology.

"The objective of the partnership between UIC and Braskem is to establish a completely integrated, sustainable and low-energy system, capable of continuously capturing flue gas CO₂ and converting it into ethylene for the production of polyethylene. To develop the system with the necessary performance, our group at UIC will rely on the experience demonstrated in electrochemical CO₂ reduction reactions and will combine it with the technology that is being patented to actively capture CO₂ from flue gases," explains professor Singh.

Source: Braskem