Green Chemistry Challenge: 2023 Greener Reaction Conditions Award
Captis Aire LLC
Chemical Adsorption Innovation Reduces Emissions (CAIRE™) Technology
Captis Aire is being recognized for the patent pending CAIRE™ Technology that converts terpenes, a waste product produced during the wood manufacturing process, into valuable chemicals. Currently these terpenes – when above normal biogenic levels are an air pollutant and an irritant to eyes, lungs and skin – are burned as waste which releases greenhouse gases. The CAIRE™ Technology captures over 90% of the terpenes released from the wood products manufacturing process and converts them into many valuable chemicals including those used in products such as biofuels, flavors and fragrances.
Summary of Technology:
Organic pine chemicals called terpenes are released from wood product manufacturing processes that dry green pine wood. These manufacturing processes are often situated in rural disadvantaged communities. Currently, the baseline management for these terpenes is “end of pipe” treatment, which uses natural gas to burn these molecules, releasing carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas (GHG). Rather than directly burning bioderived carbon and emitting GHGs, the patent pending CAIRE™ Technology captures >90% of the terpenes and converts this waste into valuable chemicals. The CAIRE™ Capture Technology has four steps: 1) terpene adsorption using a specialized reusable adsorbent media to clean the air, 2) desorption to release the terpenes in vapor form into nitrogen gas, 3) condensation of vapors to liquid terpenes, and 4) reactivation to superheat the specialized media and maximize capture efficiency. These versatile terpene building blocks can then be processed into many valuable chemicals which can be used as components of biofuels, flavors, fragrances, etc. Three successful demonstrations at commercial wood product manufacturing facilities showed the ability to reduce GHGs and transform hazardous pine chemical wastes into purified terpenes.
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