MSU researchers win $1.5 million for developing carbon dioxide-converting membrane

A special ceramic slurry and a conveyor belt whose surface is minus 30 degrees are some of the things a Montana State University researcher will use to help turn carbon dioxide into useful products.

"It’s materials science, but there’s also an art to it," said Stephen Sofie, professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering.

In his lab recently, Sofie carefully poured the ceramic slurry onto the conveyor surface, where it spread into a thin sheet. As the conveyor moved very slowly over a powerful cold source, small ice crystals formed as the slurry hardened — a process called freeze-casting.

Marshall Swearingen, MSU News Service

http://www.montana.edu/news/18110