Setting the Record Straight: CO2 Technology is Part of the Solution

Summary

CO₂ technology, particularly when using recycled CO₂, provides significant benefits for people, businesses, and the environment. Recycled CO₂ is captured as a byproduct from industrial processes and does not add extra greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Instead, it replaces conventional industrial agents—such as solvents, coolants, and lubricants—that are often harmful, energy-intensive to produce, and environmentally damaging.

Leading companies like Western Digital, Pentel, Gillette-PaperMate, Raytheon, and Seagate have incorporated CO₂-based cleaning and machining technologies to improve productivity, workplace safety, and compliance with environmental regulations. 

Highlights

• Recycled CO₂ technology reduces environmental pollution and energy consumption.
• CO₂ is a versatile industrial agent used in cleaning, machining, cooling, and lubrication.
• Using recycled CO₂ does not add additional greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.
• CO₂ technology improves workplace safety by eliminating hazardous chemical exposures.
• Leading companies have successfully adopted CO₂ technology for industrial processes.
• CO₂ offers competitive cost-of-ownership and reduces waste disposal costs.
• CO₂ technology helps industries comply with EPA greenhouse gas emissions reporting.

Key Insights

• Recycling CO₂ as an Industrial Resource Creates a Closed Carbon Loop: The CO₂ used in industrial applications is captured and recycled from existing industrial byproducts such as petrochemical and ammonia plants. This approach avoids introducing new CO₂ emissions into the atmosphere, thus mitigating any additional greenhouse gas burden. Rather than producing new CO₂, it shifts industrial dependency to a sustainable, abundant resource stream, aligning with circular economy principles.
• CO₂ Technology Enables Multifunctional Industrial Applications: Uniquely, CO₂ can serve multiple roles including as a spray, immersion cleaner, surface treatment, coolant, lubricant, and extraction solvent. This multifunctionality allows industries to replace many harmful and resource-intensive chemicals with a single, environmentally benign agent, reducing the complexity and environmental footprint of manufacturing processes.
• Energy Conservation Through CO₂ Substitution in Manufacturing: Organic solvents and conventional chemical agents often require significant energy for production, transportation, storage, and disposal. Replacing these with recycled CO₂ reduces the associated energy demands markedly, thereby lowering indirect CO₂ emissions linked to energy generation and chemical manufacturing. This efficiency contributes to overall energy savings within industrial operations.
• CO₂ is Non-Toxic and Non-Hazardous Properties Enhance Worker Safety: Unlike many solvents such as n-propyl bromide, perchloroethylene, and trichloroethylene, CO₂ is non-toxic, non-carcinogenic, non-mutagenic, and does not pose fire hazards. This reduction of health risks contributes to safer workplaces, minimizing occupational exposure concerns and costly safety regulations, improving workforce wellbeing and productivity.
• Regulatory Advantages: Users of Recycled CO₂ are Not Emission “Generators”: EPA greenhouses gas reporting regulations classify actual emitters of CO₂, but companies using recycled CO₂ are exempted from being considered carbon “generators.” This distinction provides a regulatory advantage by enabling companies to reduce their environmental impact without additional liabilities associated with emissions reporting, facilitating adoption of CO₂ technology as part of emissions reduction strategies.
• Improved Product Yields and Equipment Longevity through Cleaner Processes: CO₂-based cleaning and processing improve the cleanliness and longevity of equipment and tools by eliminating residues and corrosion linked to traditional solvents. This keeps equipment operational for longer periods, reduces downtime due to maintenance or rework, enhances product quality, and increases manufacturing throughput, offering significant operational benefits.
• CO₂ Technology Innovation Spurs Development of New Manufacturing Processes: The unique physical and chemical properties of CO₂, including its ability to become supercritical, open opportunities to design novel manufacturing tools and methods. This can lead to innovative applications in biomedical treatment, textile processing, surface modification, and precision machining, driving industry advancement and competitive differentiation.