CO2 scrubbers extract and trap carbon dioxide to limit its release into the atmosphere. They are used in industrial settings, closed breathing devices, and aquariums. Scrubbers can absorb or adsorb CO2, create chemical reactions, or sequester it for reuse. Disposing of trapped CO2 responsibly is a challenge, but reducing CO2 production is the ultimate goal.
A carbon dioxide (CO2) scrubber is a device that extracts carbon dioxide from the air and traps it. While the device doesn’t address CO2 production primarily, it limits the amount of this greenhouse gas that is released from the atmosphere. The use of such scrubbers can potentially impact global warming trends, as scrubbers can be used to control the release of CO2 to protect the environment.
There are several settings in which a CO2 scrubber can be used. In industrial settings, these devices are used to trap the CO2 emitted as a by-product of the manufacturing process. Other scrubbers can also be installed to trap an assortment of chemicals and gases to reduce the amount of pollution produced. In some regions, these scrubbers are required by law as part of objectives to reduce pollution and limit the release of greenhouse gases.
CO2 scrubbers are also used on systems such as closed breathing devices, climate control systems, and so on, to extract CO2 from the air so it is safe to breathe. Scrubbers can also be fitted to things like aquariums to control the gas mixture in the water for the safety of the organisms living within. More generally, the researchers talked about installing scrubbers in the open air to trap CO2 produced by things like cars, as fitting scrubbers to individual vehicles isn’t necessarily practical, but using a CO2 scrubber to clean the air in general it might work.
There are several ways a CO2 scrubber can work. Some scrubbers absorb or adsorb CO2, others create chemical reactions to break it down. In some systems, such as reactors or absorbers, CO2 can be sequestered and the reactor or absorber can be reused. This contributes to the efficiency of the CO2 scrubber. In other cases, it may be necessary to periodically refill or replace the reagent material so that the CO2 scrubber can continue to operate.
Using an air purifier only solves part of the problem. One is still left with trapped CO2 which must be disposed of responsibly. While there are some industrial and commercial uses for carbon dioxide, these uses do not create enough demand to consume the CO2 trapped by scrubbers. A number of ideas have been put forward to safely manage trapped CO2. The researchers also criticized the scrubber model, arguing that the goal should be to produce less CO2, rather than trapping it after the fact. Proponents argue, however, that production is unlikely to disappear, so measures that will reduce the amount released have value.
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