Glossary of CO₂ capture
This glossary presents the main terms used in the field of CO₂ capture, direct air capture, and carbon capture technologies. It aims to facilitate understanding of the technical concepts associated with the solutions developed by Skyrenu.
A
adsorption
Adsorption is a physico-chemical process by which gas molecules, such as CO₂, attach to the surface of a solid material called an adsorbent.
Solid adsorbent
A solid adsorbent is a material capable of capturing certain molecules present in a gas. In CO₂ capture technologies, these materials are often functionalized with amines to improve their adsorption capacity.
Amines
Amines are chemical compounds used in some CO₂ capture technologies to improve the affinity between the adsorbent material and carbon dioxide molecules.
C
Direct air capture (DAC)
Direct Air Capture (DAC) is a technology that allows CO₂ to be extracted directly from the atmosphere in order to reduce its concentration and allow its sequestration or valorization.
Industrial CO₂ capture
Industrial CO₂ capture refers to technologies that capture carbon dioxide in industrial facilities before it is emitted into the atmosphere.
Carbon capture
Carbon capture refers to all technologies that capture carbon dioxide before it is released into the atmosphere or directly from the ambient air.
CCUS
The term CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage) refers to all technologies that allow the capture, use or storage of CO₂ in order to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
Atmospheric concentration of CO₂
The atmospheric concentration of CO₂ corresponds to the amount of carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere. It is generally expressed in parts per million (ppm).
D
Decarbonisation
Decarbonization refers to actions aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions in the economy, particularly in the industrial, energy and transport sectors.
Desorption
Desorption is the reverse process of adsorption. It consists of releasing the CO₂ molecules previously captured by the adsorbent in order to recover them in concentrated form.
E or É
Residual emissions
Residual emissions are greenhouse gas emissions that remain after the implementation of reduction measures.
F
Diluted industrial emissions
Dilute industrial streams refer to gas streams containing low concentrations of CO₂. They are present in some industrial facilities and can be more difficult to treat with conventional capture technologies.
G
Greenhouse gas
Greenhouse gases are gases present in the atmosphere that contribute to global warming by trapping some of the heat emitted by the Earth.
I
Industrialization of a technology
Industrialization refers to the process of transforming a technology developed in a laboratory into a system capable of being produced and operated on a large scale.
Carbon intensity
Carbon intensity measures the amount of CO₂ emitted per unit of energy produced or per unit of economic activity.
M
Carbon mineralization
Carbon mineralization involves transforming CO₂ into stable minerals to allow for permanent storage.
N
Carbon neutrality
Carbon neutrality corresponds to a balance between CO₂ emissions and actions to reduce or offset them.
P
Modular platform
A modular platform is a technological architecture composed of standardized units that can be assembled to progressively increase the capacity of a system.
R
Regeneration
Regeneration refers to the process of restoring an adsorbent's ability to capture CO₂ after a capture phase.
S
Carbon sequestration
Carbon sequestration involves the long-term storage of captured CO₂ in order to prevent its return to the atmosphere.
Geological storage of CO₂
Geological storage involves injecting captured CO₂ into deep geological formations in order to store it sustainably.
T
Climate technology
Climate technology is technology developed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or mitigate the effects of climate change.
CO₂ capture technologies
CO₂ capture technologies include processes that capture carbon dioxide from the air or from industrial streams in order to store or use it.
To learn more about the solutions developed by Skyrenu, visit the page Technology.
TRL (Technology Readiness Level)
TRL is an indicator used to measure the maturity level of a technology, from basic research to industrial deployment.
V
CO₂ valorization
CO₂ valorization involves using captured carbon dioxide as a raw material to produce other materials or industrial products.