Plasma induced conversion of CO₂with water to useful compounds

Global energy consumption will increase 28% between 2015 and 2040, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA). The increased energy use will be matched by a 16% increase in energy-related carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions over that same period, with annual emissions rising from 33.9 billion metric tons in 2015 to 39.3 billion metric tons in 2040, according to EIA’s report. The CO₂ conversion to produce sustainable carbonaceous fuels is the most promising option to tackle greenhouse gases in the short to medium term. CO₂ is a promising renewable, cheap, and abundant C1 feedstock for producing valuable chemicals, such as CO.

Nonthermal plasma is a better option, as it can convert CO₂ at near-ambient temperature and pressure [1-3]. The reduction of CO₂ with H₂O was carried out using the Arc plasma and possible production of organic compounds in the liquid phase and formation CO in the gas phase. The measured net conversion of CO₂ to CO was close to 4% under optimal conditions. Although we also performed the 2D simulation using COMSOL Multiphysics® software to determine how the potential reaction generated gas phase was diffuse to the liquid phase.