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A new, low-cost way to capture carbon dioxide emitted by power plants and industrial facilities is based on a simple physical phenomenon, similar to the fizzing of bubbles when you open a bottle of champagne or break a soda bottle.
The process, called pressure-induced carbon capture (PICC), uses water and pressure to remove carbon dioxide from exhaust gases before they reach the atmosphere, providing a cleaner and much cheaper alternative to traditional chemical methods.
Co-inventors Dr. Mark Holzapple, professor of chemical engineering at Texas A&M University, and Jonathan Feinstein of Excelthermic Enterprises have filed a patent to license the technology to power plants, hydrogen facilities, cement kilns, steel blast furnaces, and other industrial emitters around the world. Holzapple said PICC is a practical solution to an urgent problem, as fossil fuel combustion (which releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere) remains a key component of the world’s energy mix.
“Our invention is a cost-effective way to address one of the greatest challenges facing humanity,” Holtzapple said. “The ability to capture carbon dioxide from exhaust gases using only water and pressure makes the process simple, clean, and cheaper than competing technologies.”
Traditional carbon capture systems rely on powerful chemicals called amines that combine with carbon dioxide and remove it from exhaust gases. Holtzapple said amines struggle to remove more than 90% of carbon dioxide from flue gas. Also, amines are expensive and degrade when exposed to exhaust gases. Furthermore, he said it is no longer acceptable to let 10% of carbon dioxide escape into the environment.
In contrast, PICC uses physical absorption. Because PICC does not use chemical bonds, carbon dioxide can just as easily dissolve in water at high pressure as it can jump out of water at reduced pressure.
“We all know that high-pressure carbon dioxide dissolves in water, and that when you open a bottle of Coca-Cola or beer, you see the carbon dioxide bubble back up,” Holtzapple said. Once the carbon dioxide is released, it can be safely stored or utilized.
How the system works
During operation, the exhaust gases from the combustion of coal, natural gas, or biomass such as forest waste, crop residue, or municipal solid waste are first cooled and compressed. The high-pressure gas is then piped to an absorption tower where the cold water flows downward while the gas moves upward through a structured packing that maximizes contact between the two streams. When the nearly clean gas reaches the top of the tower, it comes into contact with the fresh water coming in from the top. There, the last traces of carbon dioxide dissolve in the water and the clean gas is released into the environment.
The water leaving the bottom of the column contains dissolved carbon dioxide and is transferred to a series of vessels, each at lower and lower pressures, where the carbon dioxide gradually bubbles out. Holzapple said the released carbon dioxide is compressed and injected into underground geological formations, such as saline aquifers, where it is stored permanently.
A low-cost path to near-perfect capture
Economic analysis shows that PICC can capture and compress 99% of carbon dioxide emissions at $26 per tonne. Other current technologies recover about 90% and cost between $50 and $100 per ton, Holtzapple said.
Additionally, by adding a small amount of lime, an alkali, to the water, PICC captures 100% of carbon dioxide at an average cost of less than $28 per ton. That level of capture even removes carbon dioxide from the combustion air, Holtzapple said.
“PICC allows us to use the abundant fossil fuels that are the basis of our civilization without adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Furthermore, by combining PICC with biomass combustion, we can cost-effectively remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,” he said.
Provided by Texas A&M University
Citation: New carbon capture method uses water and pressure to remove CO₂ from emissions at half the current cost (November 15, 2025) Retrieved November 15, 2025 from https://techxplore.com/news/2025-11-carbon-capture-method-pressure-emissions.html
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North America Carbon Capture and Sequestration Market: by Type (Pre-Combustion, Post-Combustion, Oxy-Fuel Combustion), Application (Enhanced Oil Recovery, Industrial, Agriculture, Power Generation, Others), Distribution Channels (Direct Sales, Distributors, Online, Resellers, Value Added Resellers, Others), Technology (Absorption, Adsorption, Membrane Separation, Cryogenic, Chemical Looping, Others), Organization Size (Small, Medium, Large) and By North America – Historical & Forecast Period (2020-2035) Comprehensive Study 2025
1. North America Carbon Capture and Sequestration Market Outlook
2. North America Carbon Capture and Sequestration Market Executive Summary
2.1. North America Market Revenue Size (USD Million) (2020-2035)
2.2. Key Trends By Segments (2020-2035)
2.3. Key Trends By North America (2020-2035)
3. North America Carbon Capture and Sequestration Market Key Vendors Analysis
3.1. Carbon Capture and Sequestration Market Regulatory Framework
3.2. Carbon Capture and Sequestration Market New Business and Ease of Doing Business Index
3.3. Carbon Capture and Sequestration Market Recent Developments
3.4. Top Carbon Capture and Sequestration Market Buyers Details By North America
3.5. Top Carbon Capture and Sequestration Market Suppliers Details By North America
3.6. Case Studies of Successful Key Ventures
3.7. Top Players Comparative Analysis
3.7.1. Country/Regions
3.8. Key Vendors
3.8.1. Top 5 Carbon Capture and Sequestration Market Vendors Pricing Analysis
3.8.2. Carbon Capture and Sequestration Market Product Benchmarking
3.8.3. Carbon Capture and Sequestration Market Future Investment Plans
3.9. Carbon Capture and Sequestration Market – Forces
3.9.1. Carbon Capture and Sequestration Market Drivers
3.9.2. Carbon Capture and Sequestration Market Restraints
3.9.3. Carbon Capture and Sequestration Market Challenges
3.9.3.1. Porter’s Five Forces Analysis
3.9.3.1.1. Carbon Capture and Sequestration Market Bargaining Power of Suppliers
3.9.3.1.2. Carbon Capture and Sequestration Market Bargaining Power of Buyers
3.9.3.1.3. Carbon Capture and Sequestration Market Threat of New Entrants
3.9.3.1.4. Carbon Capture and Sequestration Market Threat of Substitutes
3.9.3.1.5. Carbon Capture and Sequestration Market Degree of Competition
4. North America Carbon Capture and Sequestration Market Revenue (USD Million) Size (2020-2035)- By Country Analysis
4.1. North America Carbon Capture and Sequestration Market Revenue (USD Million) By Country (2020-2035)
4.1.1. US
4.1.2. Canada
4.1.3. Mexico
5. North America Carbon Capture and Sequestration Market Revenue (USD Million) Size (2020-2035)- By Type
5.1. Pre-Combustion
5.2. Post-Combustion
5.3. Oxy-Fuel Combustion
5.4. Chemical Looping Combustion
5.5. Direct Air Capture
5.6. Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS)
6. North America Carbon Capture and Sequestration Market Revenue (USD Million) Size (2020-2035)- By Application
6.1. Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR)
6.2. Industrial
6.3. Agriculture
6.4. Power Generation
6.5. Natural Gas Processing
6.6. Others
7. North America Carbon Capture and Sequestration Market Revenue (USD Million) Size (2020-2035)- By Technology
7.1. Absorption
7.2. Adsorption
7.3. Membrane Separation
7.4. Cryogenic
7.5. Chemical Looping
7.6. Others
8. North America Carbon Capture and Sequestration Market Revenue (USD Million) Size (2020-2035)- By Distribution Channels
8.1. Direct Sales
8.2. Distributors
8.3. Online
8.4. Resellers
8.5. Value Added Resellers
8.6. Others
9. North America Carbon Capture and Sequestration Market Revenue (USD Million) Size (2020-2035)- By Organization Size
9.1. Small
9.2. Medium
9.3. Large
10. Company Profile Analysis
10.1. ExxonMobil
10.1.1. Vendors Overview
10.1.2. Business Portfolio
10.1.3. Geographical Portfolio
10.1.4. Customers
10.1.5. Financial Analysis
10.2. Chevron Corporation
10.3. Shell
10.4. Fluor Corporation
10.5. Aker Solutions
10.6. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
10.7. Honeywell UOP
10.8. Siemens
10.9. Linde plc
10.10. Air Products and Chemicals Inc.
10.11. Schlumberger
10.12. General Electric
10.13. Halliburton
10.14. Carbon Clean Solutions
10.15. Occidental Petroleum
11. Sources Covered
11.1. Primary Sources
11.2. Secondary Sources
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