DEAR0001540

Espin Technologies, Inc. with National Renewable Energy Laboratory - New Open 2021 Cooperative Agreement.

Control Number: 2459-1604.

Title: ''Incorporating Record-Breaking Catalysts in Electrospun Bipolar Membranes for Low-Cost Carbon Capture via Salt Splitting''.

Espin Technologies

THIS PROJECT WILL DRAMATICALLY REDUCE THE COST OF ACID AND BASE PRODUCTION BY DEVELOPING ADVANCED ELECTRODIALYSIS SYSTEMS TO DRIVE SALT (E.G., NACL) SPLITTING ELECTROCHEMICALLY. DRIVING ELECTRODIALYSIS WITH CARBON-FREE ELECTRICITY AND USING THE ACID/BASE IN DAC/DOC ENABLES THE SCALABLE CAPTURE OF CO2 FROM THE ENVIRONMENT. BIPOLAR MEMBRANES (BPMS) ARE CRITICAL COMPONENTS IN ELECTRODIALYSIS DEVICES AND THE POOR PERFORMANCE OF AVAILABLE BPMS MAKES CAPTURING CO2 TOO EXPENSIVE. THIS PROJECT WILL VASTLY IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE AND DURABILITY OF BPMS USING THREE-DIMENSIONAL INTERFACES AND NEW CATALYSTS THAT SPEED UP THE PROCESS OF PULLING APART WATER MOLECULES. THE BPMS ARE DESIGNED FOR PRODUCTION ON ROLL-TO-ROLL MANUFACTURING EQUIPMENT AT LARGE SCALE. THE NEW ELECTRODIALYSIS SYSTEMS WILL OPERATE AT TEN TIMES THE RATE AND GREATER ENERGY EFFICIENCY THAN CURRENT TECHNOLOGY. THIS WILL REDUCE THE UPFRONT INVESTMENT AND OPERATING COSTS MAKING THE REMOVAL OF CO2 VIA DAC AND DOC USING SALT-SPLITTING TECHNOLOGY ECONOMICAL. A PROTOTYPE DEVICE WILL BE VALIDATED ON A REAL-WORLD DAC PROCESS. THIS PROJECT ADDRESSES THE ARPA-E MISSION TO ENHANCE THE ECONOMIC AND ENERGY SECURITY OF THE UNITED STATES THROUGH DEVELOPMENT OF ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES THAT RESULT IN THE REDUCTION OF ENERGY-RELATED EMISSIONS, INCLUDING GREENHOUSE GASES. THE PRODUCTION OF BPMS AND ELECTRODIALYSIS STACKS BY U.S.-BASED COMPANIES WILL ENSURE THAT THE UNITED STATES MAINTAINS A TECHNOLOGICAL LEAD IN DEVELOPING AND DEPLOYING ADVANCED ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES.

81.135 - Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy

Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) [DOE]

Chattanooga, Tennessee United States

City-Wide

OPEN 2021 (DE-FOA-0002459)