Advertisement

If you have an ACS member number, please enter it here so we can link this account to your membership. (optional)

ACS values your privacy. By submitting your information, you are gaining access to C&EN and subscribing to our weekly newsletter. We use the information you provide to make your reading experience better, and we will never sell your data to third party members.

ENJOY UNLIMITED ACCES TO C&EN

Environment

Capturing Carbon Is Problematic

February 17, 2014 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 92, Issue 7

Jan. 27, page 19: A story about lab management software incorrectly referred to a brand of business management software. It’s QuickBooks, not Clipbooks.

“Striving To Capture Carbon” does not mention a fundamental problem with underground injection of liquid CO2 (C&EN, Nov. 25, 2013, page 24).

Correction

Jan. 27, page 19: A story about lab management software incorrectly referred to a brand of business management software. It’s QuickBooks, not Clipbooks.

The critical temperature of CO2 is 31.1 °C, which is the temperature at which it can no longer remain in a liquid state. If liquid CO2 is injected into the ground and if the temperature rises just a little, it will become a supercritical fluid and completely fill all the nooks and crannies of its container.

One can imagine the small but pervasive leakage of CO2 that will almost certainly occur. Good luck to the people under whose ground the CO2 has been injected. They will have a tough time selling their property.

Neil Kaufman
Sudbury, Mass.

Article:

This article has been sent to the following recipient:

0 /1 FREE ARTICLES LEFT THIS MONTH Remaining
Chemistry matters. Join us to get the news you need.