Porous materials as a filtration method for ship exhaust

The Canadian government has vowed to reduce their pollutant emissions by 2030 in order to curb the effects of climate change. This means that shipping companies must make strides to reduce their overall emissions. This project will use novel sponge-like frameworks, called metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), to remove environmentally toxic pollutants from exhaust gas. The materials currently being utilized for pollutant gas removal (e.g.. limestone) are often are very minimally active by weight, this is not the case for MOFs. MOFs possess a large internal surface area making them very active by weight, and ideal for filtration. These frameworks are able to be tailored to target the removal of specific pollutants and do so at a high capacity. If deployed in filters/pellets for marine vessels, MOFs could greatly reduce the waste associated with the current scrubbers while increasing the capacity for pollutant removal and ultimately slowing the onset of climate change.

Faculty Supervisor:

Michael Katz

Student:

Devon McGrath

Partner:

Springboard Atlantic

Discipline:

Chemistry

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Memorial University of Newfoundland