The same team of researchers that developed a zero-carbon dioxide cement and fertilizer has recently discovered a novel way of turning carbon dioxide (CO2) into carbon nanofiber.

The discovery, which was dubbed as the "Diamonds in the Sky Project" by research head Stuart Licht, Ph.D. of the prestigious George Washington University, involves the utilization of steel fibers made with steel and nickel to disintegrate collected CO2 from the atmosphere.

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Carbon nanofibers are raw materials that are utilized in sports equipment manufacturing, as well as in other metal-dependent industries such as automotive and aircraft engineering.

The process takes place in a high-temperature electrolytic bath made up of smelted carbonates at 750° Celsius (1,380 degrees Fahrenheit). By adding the atmospheric air to an electrolytic cell, the collected CO2 will disappear though the heat emitted by the steel and nickel electrodes. The steel fibers will be the ones to collect and secure the now-extractable nanofibers.

"We're very excited about this because carbon nanofibers are a very valued product. So we think there's going to be an impetus for bringing down carbon dioxide levels in the air," said Licht in an interview published by Green Tech Media.

Licht is also convinced in the success and efficiency of the research, believing that the commercialization of the project would definitely help reduce, if not totally eliminate, carbon footprints harmful to the environment.

"The greatest benefit is that this process works efficiently, and with energy from green sources. An area less than 10 percent the size of the Sahara Desert would be sufficient to bring the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere down to pre-industrial levels within 10 years. [Though] it will require a massive effort-global resources, chemical engineers and mechanical engineers-to scale up," he added.

The global utilization of the project could also help the metals commodity segment, which is currently suffering from weak prices due to scarce demand coming from usual giant consumers such as China and Japan. If this becomes a staple part of every steel-dependent industry's processing, demand for nickel, which is a main ingredient in making steel, could face a possible augmentation.

Nickel producers that are yet to put their products on the global market could benefit a lot from this, especially now that builders in countries with giant economy are still reluctant of purchasing steel.

For instance, Russia-based Amur Minerals (London AIM: AMC), which has plans of putting its products on the global market soon after it finishes infrastructure upgrades and smelting plant constructions in its Kun-Manie Reserve, could get initial clients from steelmakers focused on supplying to automakers and aircraft builders.

But, according to Julie Pyper of Green Tech Media, what really haunts most carbon-capture technology developers is the grueling task of accommodating the inevitable growth in the segment.

"Indeed, scalability has proven to be an enormous challenge for all carbon-capture technologies. Researchers have been working for years on innovative ways to pull carbon from the air and sequester it safely, like in concrete. But these technologies have yet to prove [their being] economically viable," she wrote.

But Licht and his team are confident that they have found a novel way of capturing carbon this time. He said that they have "sequestered" the carbon dioxide by binding it with other substances to an extent that "it could be bubbled into the ocean, stored under the earth, or extracted and concentrated."

He also admitted that there are still works to be done, but remains adamant that the success of this project will benefit many industries, which what makes it very promising.

Tagscarbon dioxide to nanofiber, zero carbon dioxide, carbon dioxide discovery, steel fibers, Nickel, Metals, science discovery, Amur Minerals, Kun-Manie, Licht, Carbon nanofiber