Indirect electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to carbon nanopowders in molten alkali carbonates: process variables and product properties
Carbon was deposited on a mild steel cathode during electrolysis in the molten mixture of Li2CO3 and K2CO3 (mole ratio: 62:38) under CO2 or mixed N2 and CO2 atmospheres at 3.0–5.0 V and 540–700 °C. In a three-electrode cell, cyclic voltammetry was applied on a platinum working electrode to study the...
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Elsevier
2014
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/2885/ |
| _version_ | 1848790899455164416 |
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| author | Ijije, Happiness V. Sun, Chenggong Chen, George Zheng |
| author_facet | Ijije, Happiness V. Sun, Chenggong Chen, George Zheng |
| author_sort | Ijije, Happiness V. |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Carbon was deposited on a mild steel cathode during electrolysis in the molten mixture of Li2CO3 and K2CO3 (mole ratio: 62:38) under CO2 or mixed N2 and CO2 atmospheres at 3.0–5.0 V and 540–700 °C. In a three-electrode cell, cyclic voltammetry was applied on a platinum working electrode to study the reduction and deposition processes. A two-electrode cell helped correlate electrolysis variables, e.g. temperature and voltage, with the deposition rate, current efficiency, and properties of the deposited carbon powders. High current efficiency (>90%) and deposition rate (>0.11 g cm−2 h−1) were achieved in the study. Elemental analysis of the electro-deposits, following washing with HCl solutions (2.3–7.8 mol L−1), showed carbon as the dominant element (75–95 wt.%) plus oxygen (5–10 wt.%) and small amounts of other elements related to materials of the electrolytic cell. Thermogravimetry detected fairly low onset combustion temperatures (310–430 °C), depending on the electrolysis and acid washing conditions. Amorphous and various nanostructures (sheet, rings and quasi-spheres) were revealed by electron microscopy in carbon samples deposited under different process conditions. The specific surface area of the carbon deposited at 5.0 V and 540 °C was as high as 585 m2 g−1. An analysis of the energy consumption suggests several ways for efficiency improvement so that the electrolytic carbon from CO2 will become commercially attractive. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T18:19:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-2885 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T18:19:57Z |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-28852020-05-04T16:42:58Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/2885/ Indirect electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to carbon nanopowders in molten alkali carbonates: process variables and product properties Ijije, Happiness V. Sun, Chenggong Chen, George Zheng Carbon was deposited on a mild steel cathode during electrolysis in the molten mixture of Li2CO3 and K2CO3 (mole ratio: 62:38) under CO2 or mixed N2 and CO2 atmospheres at 3.0–5.0 V and 540–700 °C. In a three-electrode cell, cyclic voltammetry was applied on a platinum working electrode to study the reduction and deposition processes. A two-electrode cell helped correlate electrolysis variables, e.g. temperature and voltage, with the deposition rate, current efficiency, and properties of the deposited carbon powders. High current efficiency (>90%) and deposition rate (>0.11 g cm−2 h−1) were achieved in the study. Elemental analysis of the electro-deposits, following washing with HCl solutions (2.3–7.8 mol L−1), showed carbon as the dominant element (75–95 wt.%) plus oxygen (5–10 wt.%) and small amounts of other elements related to materials of the electrolytic cell. Thermogravimetry detected fairly low onset combustion temperatures (310–430 °C), depending on the electrolysis and acid washing conditions. Amorphous and various nanostructures (sheet, rings and quasi-spheres) were revealed by electron microscopy in carbon samples deposited under different process conditions. The specific surface area of the carbon deposited at 5.0 V and 540 °C was as high as 585 m2 g−1. An analysis of the energy consumption suggests several ways for efficiency improvement so that the electrolytic carbon from CO2 will become commercially attractive. Elsevier 2014-02-20 Article PeerReviewed Ijije, Happiness V., Sun, Chenggong and Chen, George Zheng (2014) Indirect electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to carbon nanopowders in molten alkali carbonates: process variables and product properties. Carbon, 73 . pp. 163-174. ISSN 0008-6223 Carbon; carbon dioxide; electrolysis; molten salts http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2014.02.052 doi:10.1016/j.carbon.2014.02.052 doi:10.1016/j.carbon.2014.02.052 |
| spellingShingle | Carbon; carbon dioxide; electrolysis; molten salts Ijije, Happiness V. Sun, Chenggong Chen, George Zheng Indirect electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to carbon nanopowders in molten alkali carbonates: process variables and product properties |
| title | Indirect electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to carbon nanopowders in molten alkali carbonates: process variables and product properties |
| title_full | Indirect electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to carbon nanopowders in molten alkali carbonates: process variables and product properties |
| title_fullStr | Indirect electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to carbon nanopowders in molten alkali carbonates: process variables and product properties |
| title_full_unstemmed | Indirect electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to carbon nanopowders in molten alkali carbonates: process variables and product properties |
| title_short | Indirect electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to carbon nanopowders in molten alkali carbonates: process variables and product properties |
| title_sort | indirect electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to carbon nanopowders in molten alkali carbonates: process variables and product properties |
| topic | Carbon; carbon dioxide; electrolysis; molten salts |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/2885/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/2885/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/2885/ |