Turning CO2 Emissions into Plastic with Algae
August 18th, 2015 | No Comments | Posted in algae plastics, Algae-Carbon-Capture, Algae-CO2-Capture, Research
NREL researchers are conducting an experiment to produce ethylene directly from genetically modified algae. The experiment was conducted by introducing a gene that coded for ethylene producing enzyme. This allows t
he organisms to convert carbon dioxide into ethylene. As ethylene is a gas, it can be easily collected. The CO2 used for this conversion can be taken from power plants.
The ongoing research shows that the alternative method, if becomes efficient enough could potentially replace traditional method of converting petrochemicals to ethylene and other compounds. As algae have the ability to absorb three times the CO2 to produce one ton of ethylene, typically this process acts as a carbon sink.
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