Ammonia-Assisted Regeneration for Longer-Lasting Direct Air Capture (DAC)

Every direct air capture (DAC) system depends on its sorbent, and every sorbent eventually wears out. This DAC from Los Alamos National Laboratory tackles that weakness head-on. It replaces the harsh release step with a gentler, ammonia-assisted process, which shields amine-based sorbents from the degradation that drives up operating costs. The method works with a broad family of established sorbent materials and support structures, so developers can build it into existing capture designs rather than starting over. Challenges Direct air capture is a two-step cycle: a sorbent captures CO2 from the air, then releases it as a concentrated stream. Liquid sorbents need expensive equipment and a…