Decarbonization is the process of reducing or eliminating greenhouse gases (GHG) from the atmosphere and aims to contribute to minimizing the environmental impacts caused by uncontrolled emissions of these gases, including global warming. To this end, researchers around the world have been directing their efforts toward implementing technologies that promote decarbonization based on the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 [1, 2], especially in activities with the greatest potential for pollution, such as the energy and industrial sectors that rely on fossil fuels [3, 4].
Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) is an approach that has received considerable attention in literature and corresponds to the mitigation and harnessing of GHG, especially carbon dioxide (CO2), which is the gas with the highest emission rate to the atmosphere [5-8]. It is, therefore, a set of processes that promotes the use of green technologies to mitigate these emissions and meets the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), which deals with climate action (Gola 13) and access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all (Goal 7) [9, 10].
One of the most prominent technological approaches incorporated into CCUS is the separation of gases from sources such as thermoelectric plants [11-13]. In this regard, technologies that use membranes for gas separation have proven to be efficient and promising [14-17]. Moreover, the availability of products and processes in order to confirm their potential of environmental gain can be carried out by means of the life cycle assessment (LCA) [18].
The characterization, and investigation of the CO2 separation potential of polymeric blends using corn starch as an additive to produce renewable polymer membranes (RPM) from oxypropylated lignins. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) was used as an additive to optimize parameters directly related to the permeation of polymeric membranes [19]. From experimental data, RPMs showed potential for CO2 separation, and this fact may be associated with the free volume promoted by the presence of TiO2 in the materials produced by Mrs. Ana Paula R. de Souza in her doctorate study.
On the other hand, the LCA of a soil nanocorrective (i.e., a nanocarbonate specie) obtained by means a CCU process and conducted by Mr. Dieter Miers in his doctorate study . His study evaluates an innovative route in which CO₂ from industrial emissions is captured by a chemical route and converted into nano- calcium carbonate (NCC), used as a nano-based lime agricultural amendment. NCC exhibits higher reactivity, better dispersion and faster neutralization of soil acidity compared to conventional limestones and can be applied in soybean and lettuce production systems. The LCA, conducted in openLCA according to ISO 14040/14044 and the IPCC 2013 method [20, 21], initially covered the cradle-to-gate scope. From the cradle-to-field boundary onward, and using the ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint (H) method, the capture of biogenic CO₂ in biomass (soybean and lettuce) and its long-term storage in soil (ΔSOC) were integrated, providing preliminary estimates of up to 12 tCO₂ ha⁻¹ for soybean and 3 tCO₂ ha⁻¹ for lettuce, in addition to further gains associated with increased soil carbon. The results indicate that NCC technology can reduce the carbon footprint of agricultural liming, generate carbon credits and support circular economic strategies in the energy and food production sectors.
Both cases presented here describe the potential of use of CCU processes to mitigate the CO2 emission from energetic sources, especially those based on coal and diesel combustion to generate electricity (i.e., thermal power plants). Furthermore, these processes are closely related to SDG 7 demonstrating the concern with sustainability and considering technological advancements allied to environmental, social and economic impacts.
References
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Dr. Silvio Vaz Jr. holds a B.Sc. in Chemistry with technological assignments (applied chemistry) from the Federal University of Uberlândia (Brazil), a M.Sc. in Physical Chemistry and a D.Sc. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of São Paulo, and PhD equivalence diplomas from the University of Coimbra (Portugal) and from University of Granada (Spain). He was the founder and managing partner of two chemical analysis and consulting companies (Solução Ambiental and Hidrolisis, Brazil). He is currently a senior scientist at Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa, Brazil).
Doctor Vaz is the author or volume editor of nine Springer book editions including the recent,
Analytical Techniques and Methods for Biomass (2025).
