Initiative to Enhance Urea Production and Mitigate Carbon Dioxide Emissions Receives $1.3M Funding

US: The chemical industry's Urea fertilizer production is one of the most significant emitters of Carbon Dioxide, but that might change soon. The University of Michigan will test a new sustainable approach to producing Urea, thanks to a $1.3 million grant from the W. M. Keck Foundation. Currently, the process for producing Urea emits approximately 12.5 million tons of CO₂ annually, which is primarily due to the energy-intensive production of ammonia as a middle step.

Producing Urea will involve utilizing co-reduction, a process that involves combining water, CO₂ and Nitrate (NO₃-) with electricity to assemble Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, and Oxygen atoms. This innovative approach will directly consume Carbon Dioxide and Nitrate, which is a highly prevalent wastewater pollutant globally. Nitrate runoff from agriculture and industry causes harmful bacteria and algae growth in aquatic ecosystems, leading to dead zones and contaminated drinking water sources. The team plans to use Nitrates from industrial and agricultural waste while capturing Carbon dioxide from the air or sources like smokestacks.

Direct production of Urea from the co-reduction of NO₃- and CO₂ could mitigate two harmful pollutants and generate an important fertilizer product. This breakthrough has the potential to transform the Urea production process and promote sustainability. The proposed method is expected to be more energy-efficient compared to current procedures and can be powered by renewable electricity to achieve net-zero emissions. Moreover, capturing Carbon will offset the CO₂ released when Urea is utilized as a soil fertilizer. However, Carbon dioxide and Nitrate require a novel catalyst and a customized reaction environment to come together efficiently, which the team aims to develop. This study has significant potential to optimize sustainability and revolutionize the Urea production process.

Previous attempts to produce Urea using electrochemistry have focused on coupling CO₂ and Nitrogen (N2). However, researchers discovered that breaking the stable bond between Nitrogen atoms in N2 requires significant energy, making the process unfeasible. To overcome this challenge, the team from Michigan intends to use NO3- instead of N2 to generate Urea since the bonds between Nitrogen and Oxygen atoms in NO₃- are less stable, requiring less energy to break them when combining with CO₂. The team plans to employ catalyst-polymer composites to bring about the reaction. The polymers will act as guides and direct CO2, Nitrate, and Hydrogen to the reaction sites on the catalysts. The catalysts will be alloys of pairs of metals with varying compositions capable of reacting with both CO₂ and NO₃-. Through this approach, the team hopes to overcome the previous challenges and successfully produce Urea through electrochemistry.

To harness electricity to remove Oxygen from CO₂ and NO₃- for their combination at catalyst reaction sites. By regulating the delivery of reactants and electricity, the researchers expect to have unparalleled control over the reaction. This innovative approach has the potential to revolutionize the production of amides and amines that are crucial in chemical synthesis, agriculture, and pharmaceuticals. The benefits include cost-effectiveness, cleaner processes, and enhanced sustainability of food systems for a healthier planet. The team to work on all facets of the reaction collectively, rather than individually on different components. The opportunity is unique and exciting.