CARbon Capture Project

Lab Report

Carbon Dioxide Car Filter

By:

Lucy Mogan
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Abstract
In this experiment we wanted to test the two main parts of our prototype: the particle filter and
carbon dioxide filter to see how well the materials would work. For the nylon particle filter, we
weighed the fabric before and after attaching it to two different cars. We turned the car on and
left it in park for 3 minutes to see how many particles would be captured. The difference in mass
by 1-2 grams determined that for the three minutes the car was on, the nylon did capture
particles. The second experiment tested the rate of which different concentrations of KOH
(potassium hydroxide) captured CO2. We created pure CO2 through the chemical reaction of
vinegar and baking soda. Plastic tubing ran to another flask with the solution of KOH where it
bubbled through. We let it sit for 2 minutes and weighed the amount of solid material that was
created. We found that there aren't any solids being formed and the weight didn’t change that
much either. Going further, we would like to test how well the KOH works saturated in a
membrane and how long it could last.

Table of Contents

Introduction 2

Method 2, 3, & 4

Results 5&6

Discussion 6&7

Conclusion 7

References 8

Appendix 8 - 10
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Introduction
Potassium hydroxide is known to react with carbon dioxide as it is used in a number of large
scale carbon capture and storage technologies. It is used in direct air capture to turn the gaseous
CO2 into a solid in an aqueous solution of potassium carbonate and water. It can then be further
isolated or the potassium carbonate can be sold and used for other purposes like the production
of glass and soap. In the experiment we tested a 0.5 mol/L, 1 mol/L, and 2mol/L solution of
KOH to see what one captured the most carbon dioxide. The two chemical reactions we
completed during the experiment are listed below:

KOH (aq) + CO2 (g) → H2O(l) + K2CO3 (aq)

NaHCO3 + CH3COOH → CO2 + H2O +NaCH3COO

The equation used to calculate the molar solutions was based on the amount of moles (n) divided
by the amount of total liters or the volume (V). To find the amount of grams needed to add to the
deionized water we multiplied the amount of moles (n) by KOH molar mass which is 56.1056
g/mol. Then we would know the right amount of grams to add to the deionized water.

M = n ÷V
n x 56.1056 = g

Nylon is a strong woven fabric that is used in many different applications like clothing, ropes, in
tires, parasuchus, etc. It is known to be very strong when woven together into fabric. It is
relatively good with heat and is easy to wash. The nylon we used was in the form of a no show
sock.

These two experiments modeled our main questions of “How effective is the Nylon filter at
capturing expelled microscopic particles from exhaust?” and “How effective is the potassium
hydroxide solution at capturing expelled carbon dioxide from exhaust?” We hypothesized that
the nylon would work fairly well and the potassium hydroxide would capture at least a gram of
solid potassium carbonate.

Method
Nylon Filter:
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To test the effectiveness of the nylon fabric, we attached a nylon sock to the end of an exhaust
pipe of two different kinds of cars and let it sit to see if the mass of the entire sock would change.
To cater to the different sized exhaust pipes we used two different sized cans to help model the
real prototype. The car was turned on and in park for three minutes with the nylon on the exhaust
pipe. The mass was taken before and after to get a gauge on how much matter was captured.
Wanting to go further in the testing of the nylon, we drove both cars at 45 mph on the road for 5
minutes to see what would happen.

Apparatus
The apparatus included a 3 inch diameter tuna can, 2 inch diameter metal soda can, metal tape,
metal mesh, and the nylon sock. We attached the nylon sock to the end of the two cans with
metal tape and also used the same tape to attach it to the exhaust pipe.

Procedure:
The first step to performing this experiment is weighing the sock. To keep the experiment the same for all
three trials we needed 6 socks in total. After recording the initial weight of the sock, the contraption has to
be put together. The top and bottom of the tuna is cut off and the metal mesh is traced and cut to the same
size as the can. The metal mesh is then wedged into the center of the can. The nylon sock is then put over
one of the openings on the can and taped down with metal tape. This is repeated with the other soda can
as well.

When the apparatus is attached to the end of the exhaust pipe the test can begin. A timer starts at the same
time the car engine is started. The car will run for 3 minutes while in park. The sock is fully detached
from the rest of the contraption and weighed on the scale. The weight in grams is recorded and the whole
process starts over again. A new sock is then weighed and attached. This should be done a total of three
times for each car.

Potassium Hydroxide:
To test what concentration of potassium hydroxide would be the most efficient at pulling CO2
from the air we ran multiple trials with different amounts of KOH dissolved in the deionized
water. To test the potassium hydroxide we needed to create CO2 from the reaction of vinegar and
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baking soda. We ran the CO2 gas into the solution of KOH with a plastic tube so it could bubble
through for about 1 minute. We weighed the solution of KOH before and after to see if there was
any difference.

Apparatus
The apparatus included potassium hydroxide pellets, 400 mL of deionized water, 70 mL of vinegar, and
3 grams of baking soda. The experiment also included two glass flasks, plastic tubing, funnel,
scale, weigh boats, scooper, and a graduated cylinder.

Procedure:
To make the different potassium hydroxide solutions, different grams of KOH pellets are
measured out and put into 100 mL of deionized water. Use the graduated cylinder to measure out
the deionized water and then transfer it to a volumetric flask. Pour the KOH pellets in with the
deionized water and swirl until it is completely dissolved. Transfer the KOH solution into a
beaker for the experiment.

0.5 mol/L 2.8 g

1 mol/L 5.6 g

2 mol/L 11.2 g

3 mol/L 16.8 g

4 mol/L 22.4 g

Then, the 70 mL of vinegar and two separate weigh boats with 3 grams of baking soda is all
measured out and ready to go. Transfer the 70 mL of vinegar into an erlenmeyer glass with a side
port/opening. Connect two glasses by attaching the plastic tubing onto the side port of the flask
and submerged in the KOH solution in the beaker. Start the video or timer and use the funnel to
pour in the first 3 grams of baking soda and quickly close the top with a stopper. Make sure the plastic
tubing is always submerged in the KOH solution. After about 30 seconds, uncap the flask and add in the
second 3 grams of baking soda to keep the reaction going. After a minute pull out the tube and weigh the
beaker. Subtract the glass weight from the total mass to find the weight of the solution.
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Results
Experiment 1: Nylon Filter
For the 2008 Chevy Silverdo, the nylon filter weighed at least 1 gram heavier each trial. The
2008 Toyota Corollas engine was a little cleaner because the weight of the sock only increased
by 1 gram or not at all. The socks weighed about the same ranging from 4-5 grams before and
5-7 grams after. Some uncertainties were in the weighing process because it would fluctuate at
times. Overall the weight of the sock before and after showed some kind of increase.

2008 Chevy Silverado

Before Weight After Weight

Trial 1 4 grams 5 grams

Trial 2 5 grams 7 grams

Trial 3 4 grams 5 grams

2008 Toyota Corolla

Before Weight After Weight

Trial 1 5 grams 5 grams

Trial 2 4 grams 5 grams

Trial 3 5 grams 6 grams

Experiment 2: Potassium Hydroxide Solution

This experiment had a few uncertainties leading to the fluctuation of the results. The amount of
chemicals we used for each trial were the same but with human error there could have been some
mistakes. A solid in the solution was also not formed so there are uncertainties in how we
measured the amount of CO2 captured. For the most part, the weight of the solution would either
be the same or increase after the experiment was conducted. The ones that lost weight after the
experiment could have been due to a human error in the weighing process.

Glass Weight: 222g 94 g = 1 mL deionized water

Before Weight After Weight Weight Change
(Without Glass (Without Glass
Container) Container)

0.5 mol/L Trial #1 104 g 106 g 2g

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0.5 mol/L Trial #2 104 g 105 g 1g

1 mol/L Trial #1 102 g 105 g 3g

1 mol/L Trial #2 102 g 101 g -1 g

2 mol/L Trial #1 108 g 108 g 0g

2 mol/L Trial #2 108 g 112 g 4g

3 mol/L Trial #1 122 g 122 g 0g

3 mol/L Trial #2 122 g 123 g 1g

4 mol/L Trial #1 120 g 122 g 2g

4 mol/L Trial #2 124 g 124 g 0g

The data shows the before weight, after weight, and the change that was made. We ran each trial
twice to get a better understanding and a fuller data set. The results or weight change are not the
same for the concentration of KOH so more trials would be needed to see better data.

When putting the data in the form of a graph, we can see the after weight is either higher or the
same as the before weight. The difference in weight seems to be the same for the different
concentrations of KOH.

Discussion
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The data above has led us to believe that the nylon particle filter and KOH carbon dioxide filters
will work but not as well as we hoped it would.

The nylon filters worked every time at capturing particulate matter because the weight increased
by at least one gram besides one trial. The nylon in the first trial for the Chevy started at 4 grams
and ended at 5 grams after the three minutes. The nylon for the Corolla in the second trial also
started at 4 grams and jumped up to 5 gram. This tells us the nylon will capture the bigger sized
particulate matter that comes from an exhaust pipe. I think we could have been better at making
sure the scale was level and more accurate by measuring it inside without any wind. While
driving with the filter on the car, we found that the nylon we used expanded and even a hole was
punctured due to the speed and heat of the air coming from the exhaust pipe. For the 5 minutes
the nylon was on the car, it distorted and made it less able to effectively capture particulate
matter in the future. Between the two cars we used, we have come to the conclusion that the
material for the nylon sock we used will not work efficiently at capturing particulate matter.

The data we recorded for the potassium hydroxide experiment was inconclusive. The numbers
were contradicting at times and didn’t show what solution was the most effective at capturing
CO2. The 0.5 mol/L solution or the most diluted started off at 104 g and ended up at 105 and 106
g between the two trials. The 4 mol/L solution or the strongest started with 120 g for the first trial
and 124 g for the second and ended with 122 g and 124 g. The change in weight for both
concentrations are unpredictable and don’t show a direct result of what concentration was the
most effective at taking CO2 out of the air. This tells us that KOH could be unpredictable or just
not concentrated enough. The problem we would run into while increasing the concentration is
the acidity could get too high to be safely on the car. After looking at the data from the KOH lab,
we have come to the conclusion that the solution is not concentrated enough to capture the
amount of CO2 we need it to.

Conclusion
If we had more time to rerun the tests for the KOH experiment, we would add another trial to
each solution and try to make it as accurate as possible. Also we would like to strictly keep the
solution under the same conditions for all of the trials. The trials done on the nylon fabric told us
that they work but not as well when the car is actually driving. In the end we figured out that the
nylon fabric made for clothing will not work as a particulate filter at the end of an exhaust pipe.
Due to its lack of heat resistance and flexibility the filter will not last long in our product. One
possible option is moving it further away from the end of the pipe or changing to a fine metal
mesh. The KOH solution experiment was inconclusive and led us to look for other possible
solutions. The change in weight would mostly stay the same or increase slightly. If we could redo
the experiment I would make sure all the measurements are close to exact and the KOH solution
would have a constant source of carbon dioxide for 1 minute exactly. A possible solution for
moving forward would be creating a stronger solution or finding a different material that will
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capture carbon dioxide. Going forwards we would like to test how long the potassium hydroxide
solution would actually last on a membrane at the end of an exhaust pipe.

References
https://www.primaryconnections.org.au/themes/custom/connections/assets/SBR/data/Chem/sub/b
aking/baking.htm
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/potassium_hydroxide
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Potassium-carbonate#section=Antidote-and-Emerg
ency-Treatment
https://sciencing.com/calculate-concentration-ppm-6935286.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7pvoQFuruA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLjWa9cE2uk

Appendix
Nylon Particle Filter Pictures:
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Potassium Hydroxide Carbon Dioxide Filter Pictures: