High Surface Area Modified Resins for Carbon Dioxide Capture
Navy SBIR FY2016.1


Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2016.1
Topic No.: N161-040
Topic Title: High Surface Area Modified Resins for Carbon Dioxide Capture
Proposal No.: N161-040-0365
Firm: Lynntech, Inc.
2501 Earl Rudder Freeway South
College Station, Texas 77845
Contact: David Battaglia
Phone: (979) 764-2200
Web Site: http://www.lynntech.com/
Abstract: Carbon dioxide (CO2) removal is essential to maintaining a breathable atmosphere inside closed systems such as that in a Navy submarine. However, current systems use corrosive materials, are energy intensive, prone to complications, and have relatively short lifetimes. Space constraints within these environments call for a maximization of the amount of CO2 to be captured for a given volume. Thus, the Navy is seeking advanced, affordable CO2 capture technology and materials to fit within, at most, the same volume as current systems. Lynntech has developed a safe and novel solution to address the above concerns by creating a regenerable scrubber based off high surface area functional materials. Lynntech will further development efforts by improving capture through synthetic modification and maximization of capture potential in a typical submarine environment. In the Phase I, Lynntech will synthesize materials, evaluate their capture potential at submarine CO2 concentrations, and tune materials to capture the maximum amount of CO2 at those concentrations. Furthermore, the regenerability of the sorbent will be optimized, with development of optimal regeneration processes for sustained use and reuse. The materials and methods that best meet the needs of the Navy will be recommended for further development.
Benefits: An economical solution to current submarine carbon dioxide scrubber shortcomings can impact a wide range of applications and serve many end users. The improvements in scrubber technology can directly benefit agencies that use life support systems (NASA, Navy), as well as rebreather systems (United States Marine Corp, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, United States Coast Guard). Other direct applications that would substantially benefit from an improved CO2 scrubbing material would be search and rescue operations, industrial CO2 capture from power plants, chemical industry, mining operations, and hazmat emergency response teams.

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