Carbon Capture Patents

Carbon capture patents cover direct air capture DAC sorbent and contactor innovations; post-combustion capture amine solvent and stripper innovations; geological CO2 storage and monitoring innovations; and CO2 utilization and electrolysis conversion innovations — with IP held by oil majors, DAC startups, national labs, and chemical companies: MAJOR CARBON CAPTURE PATENT HOLDERS: CLIMEWORKS: 200+; specific DAC innovations (specific specific solid sorbent DAC: specific specific amine-functionalized cellulose fiber sorbent from specific specific 400 ppm CO2 dilute air capture from specific specific 90% CO2 removal efficiency from specific specific temperature vacuum swing adsorption TSA/TVSA from specific specific 80-100°C steam low-grade heat regeneration from specific specific 250 kWh_th/tCO2 + 50 kWh_e/tCO2 from specific specific Orca plant 4,000 tCO2/yr Iceland 2021 from specific specific Mammoth plant 36,000 tCO2/yr 2024 from specific specific mineral permanent storage injection from specific specific $1,000/tCO2 2023 declining to $300-500/tCO2 target); CARBON ENGINEERING: 200+; specific liquid solvent innovations (specific specific KOH liquid solvent DAC: specific specific air contactor structured packing from specific specific KOH(aq) CO2 absorption K₂CO₃ slurry from specific specific slaker: specific specific K₂CO₃+Ca(OH)₂→2KOH+CaCO₃ from specific specific pellet reactor: specific specific CaCO₃ pellets from specific specific calciner kiln: specific specific CaCO₃→CaO+CO2 at 900°C from specific specific slaker: specific specific CaO+H₂O→Ca(OH)₂ from specific specific 8.81 GJ/tCO2 thermal energy from specific specific 2,000 tCO2/day commercial plant from specific specific $210-300/tCO2 projected); EXXONMOBIL: 3,000+; specific amine innovations (specific specific MEA monoethanolamine solvent: specific specific 30 wt% aqueous from specific specific CO2 absorption 40-60°C absorber tower from specific specific 15-20 vol% CO2 flue gas from specific specific 120-140°C stripper reboiler from specific specific 3.5-4.0 GJ/tCO2 regeneration energy from specific specific degradation oxidative from specific specific FGD flue gas desulfurization upstream); SHELL: 2,000+; MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES: 1,000+; NETL/DOE NATIONAL LABS: 500+.

Novel DAC sorbent material and regeneration cycle innovations; advanced amine and ionic liquid solvent formulation innovations; and membrane gas separation and electrochemical CO2 capture innovations represent core carbon capture patent domains: DAC SORBENT PATENTS: CLIMEWORKS; GLOBAL THERMOSTAT; CARBFIX; MIT; CALTECH: specific sorbent innovations (specific specific amine-functionalized sorbent: specific specific polyethylenimine PEI mesoporous silica SBA-15 from specific specific 3-5 mmol CO2/g sorbent at 400 ppm from specific specific TSA cycle 80-100°C regeneration from specific specific humidity swing: specific specific moisture-induced desorption from specific specific dry adsorption 3× faster than wet from specific specific MOF metal-organic framework: specific specific Mg-MOF-74 35 cm³ CO2/g 1 bar from specific specific MIL-101 NH₂ 3.1 mmol/g at 0.4 mbar from specific specific IRMOF-3 amine-grafted from specific specific Mn-MOF cooperative insertion 4.1 mmol/g from specific specific electrochemical DAC: specific specific quinone redox active carrier from specific specific PCET proton-coupled electron transfer from specific specific faradaic swing 0.19 GJ/tCO2 projected vs. 250 kWh TSA from specific specific biphasic solvent: specific specific DBU guanidine base from specific specific CO2 carbamic acid precipitation from specific specific low temperature 40-50°C regeneration from specific specific 1.5 GJ/tCO2 vs. MEA 3.7 GJ); POST-COMBUSTION PATENTS: SHELL; MITSUBISHI; BASF; LINDE; TOSHIBA: specific solvent innovations (specific specific advanced amines: specific specific piperazine PZ 8 m 90°C 25% faster vs. MEA from specific specific MDEA methyldiethanolamine blended from specific specific CANSOLV Shell SO2+CO2 dual from specific specific ionic liquid: specific specific [P66614][2-CNpyr] 3.4 mmol CO2/g from specific specific no water no volatility from specific specific 2.0 GJ/tCO2 projected from specific specific structured packing: specific specific Sulzer MellapakPlus 252.Y from specific specific 15-25 m absorber from specific specific L/G 3-5 L/kg specific specific packed height vs. HETP); MEMBRANE PATENTS: MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH MTR; EVONIK; PENTAIR; AIR LIQUIDE: specific membrane innovations (specific specific polymeric membrane CO2/N2: specific specific PEBAX Pebax 1074 CO2/N2 selectivity 35 from specific specific Polaris MTR CO2/N2 50 1000 GPU from specific specific two-stage cascade 90% capture from specific specific facilitated transport: specific specific amine-containing fixed carrier from specific specific 800 GPU CO2 permeance from specific specific MOF polymer mixed matrix MMM from specific specific ZIF-8 SAPO-34 20% loading).

Geological CO2 storage site characterization and monitoring innovations; CO2 electroreduction to fuels and chemicals innovations; and mineralization and enhanced weathering innovations represent additional carbon capture patent domains: GEOLOGICAL STORAGE PATENTS: SCHLUMBERGER; CHEVRON; BP; NETL; TOTALENERGIES: specific storage innovations (specific specific saline aquifer injection: specific specific supercritical CO2 >31.1°C >72.8 bar from specific specific 800 m minimum depth from specific specific injectivity 10⁻¹⁵ m² permeability 0.1-1 D from specific specific caprock seal integrity shale 10⁻²⁰ m² from specific specific monitoring: specific specific 4D seismic repeat survey from specific specific InSAR surface deformation ±1 mm from specific specific DAS distributed acoustic sensing fiber from specific specific wellbore integrity: specific specific cement bond log CBL from specific specific mechanical integrity test MIT from specific specific pMIT pressure MIT from specific specific EOR enhanced oil recovery: specific specific CO2 miscible flood from specific specific minimum miscibility pressure MMP from specific specific 1.1× MMP flood from specific specific 300-500 scf CO2/bbl oil recovery from specific specific basalt mineralization: specific specific CO2 + basalt → calcite CaCO₃ ankerite from specific specific Carbfix Iceland 95% mineral 2 yr vs. 1,000 yr sandstone from specific specific >100 g CO2/kg basalt from specific specific pH 9.5 alkaline); CO2 UTILIZATION PATENTS: OPUS-12/TWELVE; NEWLIGHT TECHNOLOGIES; CARBON RECYCLING INTL; LANZATECH; SAIPEM: specific utilization innovations (specific specific CO2 electroreduction: specific specific CO2+H₂O→CO+H₂ syngas Cu electrocatalyst from specific specific CO2→formate KHCO₃ electrolyte 85% FE Pb from specific specific CO2→C2H4 Cu⁰ nanoparticle 25°C 1 bar 60% FE from specific specific 2.3 V cell voltage 200 mA/cm² from specific specific CO2-to-methanol: specific specific CO₂+3H₂→CH₃OH+H₂O Cu/ZnO/Al₂O₃ 250°C 50 bar 50% per-pass from specific specific syngas fermentation: specific specific LanzaTech C. autoethanogenum 37°C 10 psi syngas ethanol 90% carbon efficiency); MINERALIZATION PATENTS: 44.01; CARBON BUILT; EDEN GEOPOWER; UCLA: specific mineral innovations (specific specific accelerated weathering: specific specific olivine Mg₂SiO₄+CO₂→MgCO₃+SiO₂ from specific specific grinding 10 μm 50× surface area from specific specific 1.25 tonne olivine/tCO₂ from specific specific concrete curing: specific specific CO₂ injection precast mixing from specific specific 5-10 wt% CO₂ uptake calcium silicate hydrate from specific specific 44.01: specific specific CO₂ injection ophiolite peridotite Oman from specific specific >10 Mt CO₂/yr geological mineralization potential).

Carbon capture startup IP strategy must navigate ExxonMobil (3,000+) and Shell (2,000+) broad post-combustion CCUS IP; understand that Climeworks and Carbon Engineering hold specific DAC process IP but adjacent sorbent materials and novel regeneration cycles are less encumbered; identify whitespace in electrochemical DAC at low energy cost, novel MOF sorbents, CO2 electroreduction catalysts with high selectivity, and novel carbon-to-products pathways — while understanding that policy-driven demand (IRA Section 45Q $180/tCO2 DAC credit) creates a commercial window: CARBON CAPTURE STARTUP IP STRATEGY: UNDERSTAND THE CARBON CAPTURE PATENT LANDSCAPE — OIL MAJORS HOLD BROAD POST-COMBUSTION IP; DAC IS LESS ENCUMBERED: ExxonMobil (3,000+) and Shell (2,000+) hold broad post-combustion CCUS IP (MEA absorber-stripper, flue gas handling) — however DAC IP is less consolidated; Climeworks and Carbon Engineering hold specific DAC process IP but many sorbent materials (MOFs, ionic liquids, biphasic solvents) remain open; ELECTROCHEMICAL DAC AND CO2 ELECTROREDUCTION ARE HIGHEST-VALUE LEAST-CONSOLIDATED IP DOMAINS: Electrochemical DAC (quinone PCET, biphasic swing 0.19 GJ/tCO2 vs. 250 kWh TSA) and CO2 electroreduction (CO2→ethylene Cu catalyst 60% FE) represent the fastest-growing patent domains with most whitespace — startups can own novel electrocatalyst compositions, faradaic efficiency records, and system integration IP; WHEN TO PATENT IN CARBON CAPTURE: NOVEL CAPTURE PROCESS WITH MEASURED ENERGY-PER-TON-CO2: specific novel carbon capture process (specific specific capture mechanism + specific specific sorbent/solvent/catalyst material + specific specific regeneration/conversion method) with specific measured performance (specific specific capture energy GJ/tCO2 or kWh_e/tCO2 at specific specific CO2 concentration ppm + specific specific CO2 capture rate % at specific specific flow rate + specific specific sorbent capacity mmol CO2/g and cycle life N cycles + specific specific selectivity CO2/N2 or Faradaic efficiency % for electrochemical + specific specific cost $/tCO2 at specific specific scale) vs. specific specific Climeworks 250 kWh_th/tCO2 TSA or specific specific MEA 3.5-4.0 GJ/tCO2 or specific specific Cu 60% FE ethylene baseline — measured energy cost per tonne CO2 at relevant concentration is the single most critical carbon capture IP metric; KEY FTO CHECKLIST: Climeworks amine cellulose TSA 250 kWh_th 90% capture 400 ppm Orca 4,000 tCO2/yr; Carbon Engineering KOH DAC pellet 900°C CaO 8.81 GJ 2,000 t/day; MEA 30 wt% 40-60°C 120°C 3.5-4.0 GJ/tCO2; PEI-SBA-15 5 mmol/g MOF Mg-74 35 cm³ MIL-101 NH₂; biphasic DBU 40-50°C 1.5 GJ; electrochemical quinone PCET 0.19 GJ; CO2→CO syngas Cu CO2→formate 85% FE; CO2→C2H4 Cu⁰ 60% FE 200 mA/cm²; saline aquifer 800 m supercritical 4D seismic DAS; basalt Carbfix 95% mineral 2 yr.