*Introduction*

Our perspective is always changing, in the book ‘Sapiens’ by Yuval Noah Harari  Based on the book 'Sapiens- A Brief History of Human Kind' by Yuval Noah Harari, which the historical perspective of humans is always evolving and this perspective also says that humans are not the same, humans can change rapidly both in terms of emotions and physically. The earth did not stand still either; as time flew not only did humans evolve, but so did the world.

 Although these convenient easy inventions may seem like a better choice but the trade off is immense  All these exciting tech has daily impacts on our lives in a way that we cannot live without them. However the real impact of these technologies isn’t being seen by a lot of people. In other words, with around 1.5 billion cars we emit close to 70 billion tons of CO2 every single day. Even if the oceans and the forests soak up 40% of it, 30 million tons a day make their way into the atmosphere. As most of these automotives drive in high density areas (cities) the world is on the verge of a death plunge. Due to maturing lifestyles and rising urban societies. These developments may sound easy and promising of the modern era, but have brought unseen changes and innovative developments and environmental changes. The problem of indoor air pollution can transform our world eternally. One reason is because of our house. Today’s house: a world of indoor comfort and high technology. We add air conditioning, heating systems, cleaning agents and a plethora of electronic gadgets that enhance productivity, and make life more palatable, comfortable.

. These conveniences may result in a deterioration of air purity  The problem is not just that indoor air is sometimes polluted—it’s that many of us spend up to 90% of our time indoors, making us vulnerable to pollutants that can have serious health impacts From cleaning products to VOCs they are a frequent source of air pollution. Those chemicals may exist in the air for hours after their application, it may cause irritation of the respiratory tract and also contribute to chronic diseases, such as asthma and chronic lung diseases. The highest pollution producing products include furniture and mattresses, carpet will be coated with flame retardants or sitting to contain some of long-term off-gassing behavior of substances. These, while not so obvious at first, are also toxic, especially in homes with infants or young children, who are more sensitive to chemical exposure. When building occupants suffer, there are also many health issues to air pollution. 

 

 

 

*Objective*

My innovation aims to defeat that simply with a piece of plastic. Melamine. An advantage melamine has is that it is generally more cost effective compared with most specialized adsorbent materials. It was the case for melamine that is quite widespread, and already produced in massive amounts, thus possibly providing a pathway toward CO2 upcycling. My work has demonstrated this versatility potential for both the stability and adsorption efficiency, leading to a green option. It would aid to the overall performance in indoor spaces and can serve as a CO2 remover to anyone who has a larger are to live in. Even if the material is originating from petrochemical processes, It will have the efficiency and lower production cost, to make up most of the inconveniences you find with the other carbon capturing materials. If we find a better way to produce and recycle/reuse melamine, we could eliminate waste and make the technology sustainable. My research shows that if we take a industrial furnace and heat it to 800 degrees celsius we can remove the CO2 from melamine and reuse it.However I cannot test it as I need specialized and industrialized equipment for it. In the end this project may need some working on but I feel thatI can develop and tweak melamine to achieve it’s potential. I believe that one day innovations like these would be essential fighting rising CO2 emissions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

*MATERIALS & PROCEDURE*

1. Melamine (C₃H₆N₆)
I'll be using melamine, which is a chemical compound with the formula of C₃H₆N₆. It's quite common, cheap and extensively used to give durable materials, mostly during the manufacturing process of resins, polymers, and flame-resistant composites. In particular, my interest lies in seeing melamine used as the base in a composite material that has very impressive mechanical strength while also possessing the capability for CO₂ absorption. The goal is to harness melamine's properties to create a material that's both effective and stable over time. 

2. CO₂-Absorbing Materials.
The materials I'll use to absorb CO₂, such as amines (like MEA), metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and polyethylenimine (PEI), play an essential role in capturing carbon dioxide. These materials are crucial in reducing atmospheric CO₂ or in capturing emissions from industrial processes like flue gas. Their performance might vary in different conditions, and that would be something I'd have to consider very well. Certain materials will be brilliant in the given conditions while others may not turn out to work just as one may want. And it's for that reason I will need to take that variability into consideration as I choose what works best for me in every specific application. 

3. Solvents and Sources of Heat.
The making of my composite would first involve dissolving melamine in some kind of solvent, ethanol or water. Since melamine doesn't dissolve easily in most solvents, I would have to slightly warm up the mixture to ensure that it actually goes into solution. Once in solution, I go ahead and move on to the mixing and curing stages. 

Heat plays an important role in these stages, whether at the curing stage or simply drying. For example, I may use heat from an oven or furnace in the removal of residual solvent and to set the composite. On the other hand, not all means of heating aren't suitable. The type of heating used, temperature, and length of time the mixture will be exposed to will determine the final product. These are the factors I'll have to carefully control if I'm going to obtain the material properties, especially in CO₂ absorption.
Synthesis of Melamine-Based Polymer or Composite. 

1. Dissolution of Melamine. 

The first stage in the synthesis of the composite will involve dissolving melamine in either ethanol or water. Since melamine doesn't dissolve well in these solvents at room temperature, gentle heating of the mixture will be necessary to ensure complete dissolution. Heating will support the formation of a homogeneous solution for further use. This is important, as it'll enable me to mix the melamine with the CO₂-absorbing material properly, which is crucial for the final performance of the composite. 

2. CO₂-Absorbing Material Preparation. 

I'll mix a dissolved melamine with a CO₂-absorbing material. The choice of material applied depends on the specific application, but I could use substances such as PEI, MEA, or MOFs. Some of these materials absorb CO₂ more efficiently than others, so I'll need to select one that fits the purpose of the composite. After choosing the right material, I'll either mix it directly with the melamine solution or impregnate the material by soaking it in the solution. 

The important thing is the proportion of melamine to CO₂-absorbing material. Normally, I try to obtain about 60 to 70% CO₂-absorbing material in weight, although this may vary depending on how much CO₂ I want it to capture when it's ready. This means the higher the rate of CO₂ to be absorbed, the higher the proportion of CO₂-absorbing material I'll need to add in. It'll be a balancing act to get the right properties-mechanical and CO₂ absorption. 

3. Curing or Polymerizing. 

Heat treatment or using a catalyst after the mixture of melamine and the CO₂-absorbing material will start the polymerization that turns it into a solid polymer network. In cases of composite making, curing of the composite would be involved-heating the material to remove the residual solvent and solidify the structure. Curing is a critical step because it ensures that the composite has the right properties, like mechanical strength and stability. Without proper curing, the composite may not perform as expected, especially when it comes to CO₂ capture. 

4. Heat Treatment. 

After curing, I'll likely need to apply further heat treatment to ensure the material is fully stable. This treatment will help improve the composite's overall strength, structure, and CO₂-capturing ability. Heat treatment conditions such as temperature and time will be done cautiously in order to get a final product that's both robust and able to absorb CO₂ effectively. Minor changes in the heat exposure might alter the final properties of the material; thus, this step needs special care. 

Testing and Characterization of the CO₂-Adsorbing Material. 

1. CO₂ Adsorption Test. 

Subsequently, it'll be checked how well the composite adsorbs CO₂. To do this, I'll expose the material to CO₂ in a controlled environment and measure how much gas the composite can absorb over time. I'll track how the material performs under different conditions, like varying temperature or pressure, to see how well it holds up in different real-world scenarios. The result from this test will provide a clear idea about the effectiveness of the composite in capturing CO₂ and how it stands compared to other materials. 

Notes on Material Selection and Durability.
Choosing the Right Material. 

Selection of a CO₂-absorbing material would depend upon the requirements of a particular application. For example: 

If I wanted to capture CO₂ from the atmosphere, I may pick a MOF; it has a really high surface area and is really good for capturing CO₂ from low concentrations. 

This is my basic procedure in which I will demonstrate the use of Melamine as a CO2 adsorber for well ventilated places.

 

 

After following my procedure I can now move on to testing.

*Testing*

To test my project I need to create a optimal setup that can efficiently show how CO2 can be adsorbed using melamine. I feel that using litmus paper is my best bet. It's small and can show reactions of CO2 effectively. One setback is that it needs to be wet or immersed in water when reacting to CO2. While testing this I have to make careful considerations as the purpose of the test is to see if melamine can adsorb CO2 and also to see how much CO2 melamine can adsorb. Using this plan I constructed a diagram of testing chamber.I am using a sodastream machine due to the maneuverability and control of CO2 being released. For the experiment I am also using 110ml clear plastic bottles that would be ideal to hold melamine/litmus paper when being pumped full of CO2. Another thing I need to think of is how much CO2 is being pumped in. 

I have found that for one short press can create 0.03 liters of CO2 using the manual. add a sentence. 

0.03 x 0.11 x 1,000,000

CO2 introduced     Capacity of the bottle.   Parts Per Million

 

Explaining The Formula

0.03 is how much liters  is being pumped into the chamber

0.11 is the volume of the chamber (110ml)

To find the ppm we have to multiply it by million as ppm is Parts Per Million used to determine the size of gases in the air.

Converting the answer to ppm is 272,000 ppm (approximate).

 

This means the ppm inside the bottles is nearly 680 times the normal ppm in a room!

 

This can work for my testing as to show how much CO2 can melamine adsorb.

Here is a short example to show how it may work.

 

 

 

(This is an approximate example)

Bear in mind the actual purpose of this project is to adsorb ambiently but accelerated CO2 adsorption can show quite clearly what is happening.

Revisiting our previous diagram we can see clearly how it works

 

CO2 is acidic meaning if blue litmus paper (that is wet) touches CO2 it will become red/pink. This shows that CO2 was here.

Moving on to actually starting the testing.

I am starting with 3 trials these are all basic using the setup shown above.

This is what my table on my first test looks like. It consists of 3 trials.

 

 

After the outcome of my first test I set a new batch of melamine but increased the quantity of Calcium Hydroxide and cut it into smaller pieces. Also I properly sealed the bottles not let any excess CO2 out. I also decided that after each trial I would clean the bottles and set new unused melamine in it. This makes it easier to see how much concentration of CO2 melamine can handle. 

 

 

These are my findings of using melamine as a CO2 adsorber and I feel like it’s safe to say that I succeeded in showing it can adsorb. I also found the limit of carbon dioxide 6 grams of melamine can adsorb nearly 545,000 ppm in a 110 ml bottle. Scaling this up to a large room, 6 grams of melamine could only have adsorbed nearly 1.22 ppm. This is very minuscule compared to an average room’s ppm which is around 400 ppm. So using this method I can approximately calculate that 600 grams of melamine can adsorb a large level of ppm in a very large room. This works well in a poorly ventilated place, (ie, closets,furnace rooms etc.) In this experiment I have found out how much CO2 melamine can adsorb and also if melamine can adsorb CO2.

 

*Conclusion*

 

As I am concluding my innovation I feel that I have learned a lot through my project. Starting with melamine. I started favoring melamine as it was a cost effective option to other standard resins. What made me so interested in this topic was a article from the University of Berkley, using this article as a base for my research. Researching furthered my understanding of melamine as a CO2 device. Using this I realized the gravity of indoor pollution. Nearly 3 million people die yearly.

There are existing carbon adsorber units on the market but are quite expensive. Ranging from 800-1200 dollars these adsorbers are heavy duty cylinders made for commercial settings. My innovation can be placed anywhere indoors and in around 2 weeks of time it could significantly reduce the amount of carbon dioxide. Using Calcium hydroxide gave me an advantage from other MOFs as when CO2 is done adsorbing a thin layer of calcium carbonate appears showing that it is time to throw it away. Some challenges I faced along the way is that  I originally planned to use melamine powder, but I was disappointed to find out that only commercial owners could buy it. During that time I thought about changing my project but soon found another way to continue this project using ‘melamine-formaldehyde condensate’ commonly known as melamine sponges. These are versatile materials and easy to find. However I had to tweak a few things for it to work properly. My project has proven to clear up indoor pollution in homes and industrial setups. I experimented on how to release CO2 evenly. My first bet was to do it naturally (lit matches, etc) but I soon ran into a problem--I could not control how much CO2 to release. I also realized that I could not show CO2 rising.  After this problem I searched for carbon cylinders that can be released easily. However these cylinders were quite expensive and needed equipment to release it. Then I realized that there was something else that I already had at home. Sodastream. It was simple and easy to use and could control the output of CO2. Using this I set up my experiment easily resolving the problem.

 

*Next Steps*

Some next steps that I would execute if I had more time.

1. Instead of using Calcium Hydroxide I would use DEIs which I couldn’t use due to the scarcity.
2. One of the biggest things that might have boosted CO2 adsorption was using actual melamine powder instead of melamine sponges. I couldn’t use this in my project as I needed some qualifications to obtain the powder.
3. When testing I used litmus paper which was great because of the maneuverability of litmus paper. Next time I would use a ph meter due to the precise and specific ph measurements.
4. Instead of using sodastream I would try to find a CO2 source that I could control to nearly 100 ppm.
5. I would change my testing bottles to something larger so I can scale the ppm accurately 

 

*Applications*

There is a wide range of applications from rooms to factories for this innovation. It is versatile and can be used nearly anywhere. Here are some of them.

1. Poorly ventilated rooms or houses are a main cause for indoor pollution. Places without external ventilation make a very attractive place for CO2 to build up.
2. Vehicles can have serious carbon build up inside. My main target is buses, as hundreds of people enter and leave every day.
3. Fridges can release nearly 116 kg of CO2 a year. Putting melamine near a fridge may reduce CO2’

 

 

 

 

Here are the sources I researched from.
 

A simple, cheap material for carbon capture, perhaps from tailpipes - Berkeley News

Researchers create effective, low-cost material for carbon capture at power plants and maybe for cars  

Researchers use melamine to create effective, low-cost carbon capture; potential tailpipe application 

Scientists Use Melamin to Capture CO2 - World Bio Market Insights 

https://www.netl.doe.gov/coal/carbon-capture 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_hydroxide 

Carbon Dioxide Capture Using Calcium Hydroxide Aqueous Solution as the Absorbent | Energy & Fuels 

Enhanced sequestration of carbon dioxide into calcium carbonate using pressure and a carbonic anhydrase from alkaliphilic Coleofasciculus chthonoplastes - PMC 

https://analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/elsc.202100033 

Carbon Dioxide Levels Chart – CO2 Meter. 

Scientists Develop Cheap Carbon Capture and Storage Process that can be Used for Vehicle Exhaust 

What is carbon capture and storage? | CCS explained | National Grid Group 

Carbon Capture - Center for Climate and Energy SolutionsCenter for Climate and Energy Solutions 

What Is Melamine? - Uses & Construction Explained | Displays2go

What is the effect of CO2 on litmus? - Quora  

Tests for gases - Analysing and identifying substances - AQA - GCSE Chemistry (Single Science) Revision - AQA - BBC Bitesize 

Understanding Carbon Capture & Storage Technology | Perch Energy

https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2024/04/nist-develops-new-testing-system-carbon-capture-fight-against-glo  

CO2 Capture with Solid Amine Functionalized Aerogels in Fluidized-Bed Reactor

Made-in-Calgary carbon emissions capture tech showcased – CTVNews

 

My project has a come a long way from just being an idea on a whiteboard, I would like to thank some people for helping me on my project. My parents have been a huge help from helping me test  to designing the trifold. Without them I could not have finished nor started my project. I would also like to thank Dr. Zia and Ms. Friesen for giving me feedback and helping me solve my problems. Also I would like to thank the University Of Calgary’s chemistry department as they helped me with various things like feedback and where to get my materials. I was very fortunate enough to have amazing people helping me on this project!

Thank You