- Ruhr-Universität Bochum

The researchers present a new reactor that efficiently converts carbon dioxide (CO2 ) into valuable chemicals using pressurized CO2 and pure water. © Fraunhofer UMSICHT/Mike Henning
CARBON MANAGEMENT

Integrating electrochemical CO2 reduction with industrial processes

Researchers have developed a zero-gap reactor for CO2 electrolysis capable of operating at a differential pressure of up to 40 bar.

Researchers from Fraunhofer UMSICHT and Ruhr University Bochum — including Prof. Dr. Ulf-Peter Apfel, head of the Electrosynthesis Department at Fraunhofer UMSICHT and the Inorganic Chemistry Research Group at Ruhr University Bochum — have developed a high-pressure zero-gap reactor for CO2 electrolysis, paving the way for integrating electrochemical CO2 reduction into industrial processes.

This innovation addresses a key challenge: existing CO2 electrolysis technologies are not compatible with typical industrial infrastructures that operate under high pressure.

The new reactor operates efficiently at differential pressures up to 40 bar, converting pressurized CO2 and pure water into valuable CO — a building block for fuels and chemicals.

This advancement is a major step toward sustainable carbon utilization in hard-to-abate sectors like cement and waste incineration.

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Published
May 21st, 2025
Author
Stefanie Bergel