AirCharcoals

AirCharcoals are a class of carbon materials proposed to be produced by converting carbon dioxide captured from ambient air into solid carbon, typically through a high-temperature or electrochemical reduction process powered by renewable energy. The concept positions AirCharcoals as a potential negative-emission solid with possible dual use as a carbon sink and as a functional material for various applications.

Production concepts for AirCharcoals vary. In one approach, carbon dioxide is concentrated from air via direct air capture and then reduced to solid carbon using high-energy processes or catalytic electroreduction. In another, AirCharcoals are imagined as the carbon produced from CO2-rich feedstocks through pyrolysis or carbonization, with emissions managed by capturing byproducts. The resulting material is described as porous with high surface area, and porosity can be tuned through processing conditions, making it resemble activated carbon or biochar in some respects.

Potential applications of AirCharcoals include soil amendment and long-term carbon sequestration, air and water filtration, catalysis, and energy storage devices such as electrodes for supercapacitors or batteries. They are often discussed in the context of carbon management and materials science, with attention to how production energy, source of CO2, and lifecycle emissions affect overall environmental performance.

The field remains speculative and lacks standardized production methods, performance benchmarks, or regulatory consensus. Economic viability, scalability, and the net greenhouse gas balance depend on energy sources, process efficiency, integration with other carbon-management strategies, and verification of long-term stability of the solid carbon produced.