Cleaner coal reality

University of Queensland researchers are working on a process that could make the theory of clean coal a reality.

Dr Joe da Costa's research group, from the Division of Chemical Engineering in the School of Engineering, has developed unique hollow fibre technology that can separate oxygen from air, making the process of capturing carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas, in coal-fired power stations much easier.

A lot of current research is focusing on separating the CO2 at the end of the cycle, which is currently expensive. The process being developed by Dr da Costa's team happens at the start, before the coal is even burnt, which reduces the cost of removing oxygen as well as making the capture of CO2 easier.

The secret of the process rests in the technology of producing ceramic hollow fibres that were exceptional at removing oxygen from the air. The fibres are less than 1 mm in diameter, and woven in a novel process that combines nanotechnology and ceramic powder technology.

The next stage of the research will be to reduce the temperature that the process happens at to make it cost effective on a large industrial scale. "At the moment, the process takes place at 800° but we need to get it down to around 500° to make it commercially viable," Dr da Costa said.

"And this technology can not only be applied to coal power generation but other energy sources and processes as well such as natural gas and coal gasification, respectively."

Dr da Costa said investment in clean coal technology was vital to make the best use of our finite resources. "Our best estimates of oil and even natural gas is that they won't last till the end of the century," he said. "But coal reserves could last for up to 500 years, so research in this area is vital for future use."

Dr da Costa said his research would be about five years away from being commercially applied in large industry.