The Company that’s Converting CO2 into Perfume and Rocket Fuel
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Air Company creates carbon-negative products, including vodka, hand sanitizer, and perfume by converting CO2 into alcohols
The company also has received recognition for its process of converting CO2 into a simple sugar
To replace conventional liquid methane fuels, Air Company created a conversion system to use CO2 to make renewable fuel
Many businesses are finding ways to become more sustainable and even carbon-neutral. Air Company is taking it a step farther by creating carbon-negative products. Their mission is to create products using technologies that convert CO2 into alcohols and other products by mimicking photosynthesis, leaving only water and oxygen behind. The company has released three products: vodka, hand sanitizer, and most recently, perfume. They also invented a way to convert CO2 to create a renewable fuel that could be used in rockets.
How the Perfume is Made
Air Company receives CO2 created through industrial processes that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. After the CO2 is captured, cooled, pressurized, and liquified, it’s delivered to Air Company in tanks.
An electrolyzer uses electricity to break water (H2O) into hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O). The oxygen is released into the atmosphere while the hydrogen is fed to a Carbon Conversion Reactor system, along with CO2.
Inside the tubes of a Carbon Conversion Reactor system, the hydrogen and oxygen rise to the top. These tubes are filled with a catalyst, causing a chemical reaction that creates a fluid composed of ethanol (C2H5OH), methanol (CH3OH), and water. The ethanol, methanol, and water are then separated. The ethanol and water are then carefully mixed together to avoid impurities. And finally, the scent is added. The process is similar for both their vodka and hand sanitizer, which are also made of mostly ethanol and water.
Going into Outer Space
Interest in space travel and exploration has only increased in recent years. In 2018, NASA announced their CO2 Conversion Challenge, asking the public to submit ways to convert CO2 into sugar. They specifically wanted to receive ideas for conversion systems that would be useful on Mars, a planet with an atmosphere that is 95.32% CO2.
Air Company submitted a three-step process to convert CO2 into D-glucose, a simple sugar. This process starts by combining CO2 and hydrogen, creating methanol. They then remove the hydrogen, creating formaldehyde. The final chemical reaction creates the D-glucose. Air Company was one of three winners of this challenge, receiving about $266,000 in prize money.
They also invented a way to make renewable fuel from CO2, which could replace conventional liquid methane currently used to launch rockets into space. Using this fuel would reduce a rocket’s CO2 emissions by 715 tons. It would also be useful for creating fuel for rockets returning from Mars. In addition to creating carbon-negative consumer products, Air Company wants to support space travel and exploration by making it more sustainable and friendly to the Earth.
