Direct air carbon capture

This invention

This invention is a direct-air carbon capture (DAC) system that pulls CO₂ straight out of ambient air. It uses a regenerable amine-functionalized sorbent coated onto a structured monolith. Once the sorbent is saturated, low-temperature steam strips the captured CO₂ back off, freeing the material for another cycle. The released CO₂ is then locked away geologically or put to use. The idea lives at the meeting point of carbon capture, storage, and sorbent-based gas separation, blending materials chemistry with process engineering.

Where it fits

Your invention sits squarely in Carbon Capture & Storage (Y02C) — a tightly clustered corner of the patent world that shows up here at roughly 927× the corpus baseline. That simply means it's a focused, well-developed area where many groups deliberately work. It also draws on Separation & Filtration (B01D) and Catalysis & Chemical Processes (B01J) — the chemistry of getting gases to stick to and release from solid materials. Filings in this result set appear steadily from 2002 onward, with a healthy cluster of recent entries in 2022–2026. That's a sign this is an active, real direction. Groups active here include the U.S. Department of Energy, ExxonMobil Research and Engineering, Cansolv Technologies, Hamilton Sundstrand, Kilimanjaro Energy, and the University of Southern California. The field also connects to Electrolytic Processes (C25B) for CO₂ utilization, which these results touch only lightly.

Closest related work

US-8163066-B2 — Carbon dioxide capture/regeneration structures and techniques (Peter Eisenberger · 51 citations · 31-member family)

This patent describes a sorbent structure that binds CO₂ from a flow of CO₂-laden air, then applies process heat to separate the CO₂ and regenerate the sorbent. That's very close in spirit to your monolith-plus-thermal-release concept. Reading it shows how the Global Thermostat lineage approached the structured-sorbent and regeneration cycle — Eisenberger is the named inventor behind several Global Thermostat Operations filings, including the companion monolith patent US-9227153-B2. A useful starting point for understanding the architecture of regenerable DAC.

US-2023173427-A1 — Atmospheric steam desorption for direct air capture (Climeworks AG · 0 citations · 4-member family, filed 2023, recent)

This recent filing focuses precisely on the steam-desorption step at the heart of your idea. It contacts air with sorbent under ambient conditions, isolates it, then injects saturated steam at atmospheric pressure to release the CO₂. Reading it shows how Climeworks approached low-temperature steam stripping — the exact mechanism you're describing. Climeworks appears several times in this set (also US-2024001281-A1 and US-12582935-B2), making their work a rich vein to explore.

US-8500854-B1 — Regenerable sorbent technique for capturing CO2 using immobilized amine sorbents (US Department of Energy · 32 citations · 1-member family)

This patent details an amine-based solid sorbent for CO₂ removal, with particular attention to managing water loading during steam regeneration. That's a practical challenge in exactly the kind of steam-stripped, amine-on-solid system you're building. Reading it shows how the Department of Energy tackled the moisture-handling problem that arises when you regenerate amine sorbents with steam.

US-7795175-B2 — Nano-structure supported solid regenerative polyamine absorbents for separation of CO2 from gas mixtures including air (University of Southern California · 91 citations · 16-member family)

This widely-cited patent covers regenerative amine sorbents deposited on nano-structured supports for capturing CO₂ from gas mixtures, including air. It emphasizes structural integrity, selectivity, and capacity. Reading it shows how USC approached the materials side — how the amine is anchored to its support — which is foundational to the sorbent in your structured-monolith design.

What you can do next

• Explore & build on it. Browse the related work above — new, differentiated ideas often come from combining or improving on existing approaches. A specific monolith geometry, a particular amine chemistry, a steam temperature or cycle timing, or an integrated sequestration/utilization step that others haven't pinned down can all be fertile ground.

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