Turning fish by-products into planet savers
Scales, skin, and bones used to make carbon dioxide capture technology
Fish by-products such as scales, skin, and bones are to be used as a raw material in a project to make materials for the capture and re-use of carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.
The AERO2cycle project will develop functional aerogels (ultra-light and highly porous materials) incorporating biochar, a carbon-rich material obtained through the controlled heating of organic waste in the absence of oxygen. In this case, the feedstock for the biochar will include fish by-products.
This biochar will be combined with polymerised ionic liquids, which exhibit a high affinity for CO2, resulting in hybrid materials capable of capturing and converting carbon dioxide. The materials will be structured through 3D printing, enabling the design of reactors adaptable to different industrial configurations and facilitating their future integration into carbon capture systems.
Integrated into industry
The technology under development can be integrated into industrial gas treatment systems, enabling the direct capture of carbon dioxide from emission streams generated by production processes.
Potential applications include sectors such as energy production, cement, chemical industry, or waste-to-energy plants, where emissions are inherent to operations.
Beyond capture, the project will also explore the conversion of retained CO2 into industrially useful chemical compounds. These may serve as intermediates for speciality chemicals, ingredients for cosmetic formulations, sustainable polymeric materials, or components linked to energy storage technologies.
By transforming a gaseous waste into a resource with economic value, the project aims to contribute to the creation of new value chains based on captured carbon.
The AERO2cycle project – Development of a Poly(ionic liquid)-based aerogels technology for CO2 upcycling – is funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), and led by the Association for Innovation and Development of NOVA School of Science and Technology.
Proved in the lab
Project participants include the participation of Portugal’s 467-year-old University of Évora and Blue Bioeconomy CoLAB (B2E CoLAB), a private non-profit association focused on the sustainable valorisation of marine resources.
Two Spanish universities, the University of Santiago de Compostela and Universitat Jaume I, are collaborating on the project.
The technology has already been validated at laboratory scale. Throughout the two-year project, the consortium will optimise material performance and test their functionality under conditions closer to operational environments, with the goal of future industrial integration.
The objective is to reduce the gap between scientific research and practical application, advancing technologically viable solutions that combine marine waste valorisation, advanced materials innovation, and contribution to decarbonisation targets.
