CARbon Capture Project

Life Cycle Report

Carbon Dioxide Car Filter

By:
Vanessa Diaz
Chase McAndrew
Lucy Mogan
Nick Lloyd
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Table of Contents

Raw Materials 2&3

Transportation 3

Manufacturing Process 4

Distribution to Customer 4

Use/Maintenance 4

Recycling 5

Waste/Emissions 5

Our Prototype 5

Citations 6&7
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Raw Materials
Our attachable car filter is broken up into 5 different parts: the outside shell, sleeve and clamp attachment,
particle filter, carbon dioxide filter, and muffler. Each part is initially made from raw materials. Most of
our product will be made of stainless steel to reduce the number of different materials and production
services needed.

➔ Stainless Steel: Stainless steel is steel (mostly iron and carbon) that has added small amounts of
chromium and nickel for corrosion resistance and strength.
◆ Iron - mined and melted to concentrate it. The top three countries that supply iron are
Australia, Brazil, and China.
◆ Carbon - found in coal deposits and processed to become suitable for commercial use.
Amorphous, Graphite, and diamond are allotropes of carbon so they can be processed
into it as well.
◆ Chromium - extracted from ores mostly in South Africa
◆ Nickel - mined and separated from ore mostly in Canada

➔ Styrene-butadiene Rubber (SBR): Made from 75% Styrene and 25% butadiene mixed into a
copolymer. A copolymer means that the molecules of each substance join together into one
structure.
◆ Styrene (monomer) - made from benzene and ethylene. Benzene is a naturally occurring
chemical that is a product of volcanoes or forest fires. We get it from petroleum. Ethylene
is a hydrocarbon that is extracted from natural gas and petroleum.
◆ Butadiene - Hydrocarbon that is a byproduct of ethylene production (steam cracking).
The gases emitted from the proces are separated and isolated to make butadiene.

➔ Nylon: Made from diamine acid and adipic acid that forms nylon salt. Biggest exporter is China
◆ Diamine Acid - extracted from crude oil (potrollium)
◆ Adipic Acid - produced from the anaerobic oxidation of cyclohexane

➔ Potassium Hydroxide Solution: Made from electrolysis of potassium chloride (KCL) that
separates it into Potassium and chlorine gas. The gas escapes and the potassium is left to react
with the water to form potassium hydroxide. In short terms it is made from potassium and water.
◆ Potassium - found in potash or potassium hydroxide (KOH) that is mined in Germany
and USA
◆ Water

➔ Polyvinylidene Difluoride (PVDF) Hollow Fiber Membrane: Chemical structure made from
Fluorine, Carbon, and Hydrogen.
◆ Fluorine - naturally occurring mineral mined in mostly China and Mexico
◆ Carbon
◆ Hydrogen - product of natural gas through steam reforming or electrolysis of water
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➔ Steel: Steel is made from a mix of different compounds mixed together. It is mostly iron with less
than 2% of carbon and 1% of manganese. There are also small amounts of silicon, phosphorus,
sulphur, and oxygen. These materials are recycled over and over again by combining scrap
materials. When it is first created, the materials have to be mined and then melted together.
◆ Manganese - mined for in an ore then melted down to isolate it. Mostly found in China
and Africa.
◆ Silicon - comes from silica which is derived from sand. Produced in a furnace with sand
and carbon.
◆ Phosphorus - Can be mined in phosphate rock or artificially made by heating the
phosphate rock with carbon and silica.
◆ Sulfur - mined in the USA in deposits or can be found in other ores.
◆ Oxygen - It is all around us. Most of the oxygen comes from the phytoplankton in the
oceans.

Transportation
The raw materials and the different parts of our product needs to be transported to and from facilities to
put all the pieces together. Transportation is a big part of the process. Some of the material will be shipped
overseas because they are coming from different countries. The rest of the product will be transported by
truck.

The ships and trucks need to be fueled with gasoline or oil which. The drilling of the oil has its own effect
on the environment such as disrupting wildlife habitats, air/water pollution, etc. The oil is then transported
to be refined and made into gasoline to power the vehicles for transportation. The ships have a risk of
spills and air pollution from burning the fuel. Vehicles also release large amounts of pollution into the air.

The transportation of the material will cost money for the labor and crew working the ship or driving the
truck. Since some of the materials are coming from overseas so we’ll have to pay for the fuel and
workers. These prices can be lower when coming from other countries because their price for labor is a lot
less expensive then it is in the United States. The average cost to ship a full crate (about 20 by 40 feet) is
around $2000-$3000 for each. This price will vary due to the size of the load, country shipping from, and
the ship itself.

Once it has made it overseas, large trucks will transfer the raw material or parts to factories where the
entire product will be put together. Transporting the materials will cost around $1.16 to $3.05 per mile
depending on the company.

Manufacturing Process
The main selling point of our product is that it is cheap and affordable enough that the average person in
developing countries can purchase it. This then requires that our construction process is incredibly
efficient as well as inexpensive. This will notably be done by using stamped steel for as much of the
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product as possible, including the outer casing, baffles, and clamps. These will be produced via assembly
lines, mostly likely in China or South Korea as manufacturing in the USA has become incredibly
expensive recently, due to tax hikes and increases in regulations. Inside these factories, heavy, industrial
machinery will turn sheets of stainless into the finished products. The first step would be to stamp them
into the correct shape by running them down a conveyor belt and using different shaped mechanisms to
create the right cylinder shape. Then a set of millers will cut out and filed down the individual surfaces of
the new pieces as is needed. Lastly, the separate parts will be fitted together either by rivets or welding.
We expect that at a minimum 90% of our product can be produced in this fashion (the average cost of
Chinese steel is less than 40 cents per pound). Outside of the metal workings, a rubber sleeve is required
to fit the clamps of the device to the exhaust pipe. This can easily be achieved via pouring a mold. Nextly,
the mesh used to capture the particulates and hold the bonded carbon dioxide will be made of
polyvinylidene difluoride hollow fiber membrane. These woven fabrics will be created separately from
the muffler and will be tailored to fit the groove at the front of the muffler, this too can be produced
industrially. Lastly, the production of potassium hydroxide will be necessary. The production of this
solution is again fairly inexpensive, at roughly $17 a liter. We could produce our own, however, it may be
more prudent to buy it from distributors. This solution will then be sprayed upon the filters.

Distribution to Customer
Given that much of our products will be produced in East Asia, we can take advantage of the built up
shipping infrastructure already in place. Using ships to transport our products will be the fastest, most cost
effective, and eco-friendly way for us to transport. Additionally, China in particular does a lot of trade
with Africa, which is the greatest target for us in terms of consumption. When the products reach the
market they will be sold in auto shops and by mechanics as individual products (the muffler and filters).
The consumers will have to have a professional attach our product on for the first time but the filters can
be replaced and reused by the customer.

Use/Maintenance
Everytime you drive your vehicle you will produce particles and gasses in the exhaust tank that our
product will collect and will need to be disposed of properly. When it's time to change your filter you will
need to remove the clamps and take apart your nylon filter. All the stainless steel can be washed out easily
with water but the polyvinylidene difluoride(PVDF) filter will need to be cleaned out with salt. After
many cleaning sessions the exposure to the sodium can significantly alter the physical/chemical
characteristics of the PVDF. Once done cleaning and drying put the filter back together and attach it back
to the car.

Recycling
Our product can be overall mostly recycled which is really good since it won’t add to the issue of land
waste or taking from limiting resources. Stainless steel and steel is recycled and reused with no
degradation in performance which is good for the product since it can be reused. The other products such
as rubber, KOH, nylon can also be recycled or reused. Not all items made of rubber such as a rubber band
 5
can be recycled, but can be reused so the same could be done to items which can’t be recycled fully. They
could be reused instead, depending on what we use and how it will be used. Recycling is important since
risk of pollution is greatly reduced.

Waste/Emissions
Retrieving products and their manufacturing background has a carbon footprint which will also be taken
into consideration. Manufacturing a ton of steel produces 1.85 tons of carbon dioxide in a study from
2018, along with transportation of sorts including stainless steel. Chlorine and hydrogen are formed as
byproducts of potassium hydroxide which is not good for the environment either. Also the manufacturing
process of Nylon creates nitrous oxide emissions which is essentially 300 times more damaging than
carbon dioxide due to it’s long life of 120 years. Styrene butadiene rubber produces VOCs while
polyvinylidene difluoride hollow membranes are not really mentioned. Overall the product does have a
carbon footprint in which emissions only tend to proceed it onward due to transportation emissions as
well. The waste could for most of the product be reused in a manner or recycled.

Our Product
Due to limited time and funding, we are planning to build as much as we can with the materials present
and 3D print the rest. We will still need the right products like potassium hydroxide and nylon to test the
CO2 and particle capture abilities. The cost of potassium hydroxide is around $17 for a liter. The nylon
will cost $8.95 for a 60” x 36” sheet. If there is time we would like to 3D print the rest of the product to
see how the whole thing will look on a car.

Citations
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2014/828131/
https://patents.google.com/patent/US6110309A/en
https://www.drugs.com/inactive/potassium-carbonate-106.html#:~:text=Potassium%20carbonate%2C%20
K2CO3%2C%20appears%20as,glass%2C%20and%20to%20soften%20water.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1383586617327041
https://www.msrgear.com/blog/hollow-fiber-membrane-advantages-backpacking-water-filters/
https://www.worldsteel.org/about-steel.html#:~:text=Steel%20is%20an%20alloy%20of,important%20eng
ineering%20and%20construction%20material.
https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/metals/what-is-stainless-steel-part-i/#:~:text=Like%20all%20other%2
0kinds%20of,create%20a%20corrosion%2Dresistant%20product.
https://www.thomasnet.com/articles/plastics-rubber/all-about-sbr-rubber/#:~:text=SBR%20is%20a%20ge
neral%20purpose,combined%20molecules%20with%20multiple%20units.
https://sewport.com/fabrics-directory/nylon-fabric
https://www.vynova-group.com/products/potassium-derivatives/potassium-hydroxide-solution#:~:text=Po
tassium%20hydroxide%20solution%20
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https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/metals-and-mining/our-insights/decarbonization-challenge-for-steel
 6
https://www.twosistersecotextiles.com/pages/carbon-footprint-considerations
https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/academic-and-educational-journals/potassium-hydroxide#:~:text=
Potassium%20hydroxide%20is%20made%20by,water%20to%20form%20potassium%20hydroxide.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/poly-vinylidene-difluoride
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/element/Carbon#section=Element-Symbol
https://mineralseducationcoalition.org/elements/chromium/#:~:text=Chromium%20is%20chiefly%20obta
ined%20from,India%2C%20Albania%2C%20and%20Turkey.
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gion%20of%20Ontario%2C%20Canada.
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%20method%20of%20producing,variety%20of%20polymers%20and%20copolymers.
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llation.
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ation&text=The%20element%20is%20quite%20abundant,ancient%20lake%20and%20sea%20beds.
https://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/f.htm#:~:text=Fluorine%20occurs%20naturally%20in%20th
e,ppm%20are%20contanined%20in%20it.
https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/14/silicon#:~:text=disease%20called%20silicosis.-,Natural%2
0abundance,%2C%20agate%2C%20flint%20and%20opal.
https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/15/phosphorus
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ome%20in%20under%20that%20mark.
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definition,'%20or%2040'%20shipping%20container.
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