Methane is a greenhouse gas that is essential for atmospheric processes, air pollution formation, and atmospheric oxidation capacity. However, there are limited ways to effectively and cost-effectively remove methane from exhaust gases, especially when methane concentrations are low** from wastewater treatment, livestock production, biogas production, and mine ventilation.
A new study by scientists at the University of Copenhagen has for the first time proposed a new method for achieving high efficiency using chlorine atoms in the gas phase.
Scientists use light and chlorine to eliminate low concentrations of methane from the air. This development brings us one step closer to effectively eliminating greenhouse gases from places such as livestock farms, biogas production plants and wastewater treatment plants, ultimately benefiting the climate.
Many methane emissions originate from many low concentrations**, such as cattle and pig farms. Historically, concentrating or removing methane from these** has been a challenge. However, recent successes in the use of reaction chambers have shown that it is now possible to concentrate these ** methane to higher levels or to effectively remove methane.
If methane makes up more than 4% of the air, it can be burned off, but most anthropogenic emissions are well below 01% to make combustion ineffective. To solve this problem, scientists have created a reaction chamber that breaks down methane in the air, removing large amounts of gas. The chamber resembles a metal box with hoses and instruments, which initiates a chain reaction of chemicals to achieve this.
"In this scientific study, we have demonstrated that our reactor can eliminate 58% of methane from the air," Johnson said. And, since submitting this study, we've improved our results in the lab, so that the reaction chamber is now at 88%. ”
Chlorine plays a crucial role in this discovery. By using chlorine and harnessing light energy, scientists can remove methane from the air more efficiently than natural atmospheric processes that typically take 10-12 years. Through this method, known as the methane elimination photochemical system (MEPS), scientists can initiate a reaction that breaks down methane about 100 million times faster than in nature.
The chemistry department is expected to arrive in a 40-foot-long container, which will be a larger prototype of the reactor chamber built in the scientist's laboratory. This "methane cleaner" is designed to be connected to the ventilation system of livestock sheds, demonstrating the practical application of this technology.