Wanted: CO2

More great news for the much maligned carbon dioxide.

Aside from developing CO2 to make ac refrigerants for automobiles, it is now being used to make plastics and biodiesel.

DSM is investing in CO2-based plastic developer Novomer. Novomer says its catalyst technology enables the company to manufacture bio-based building blocks, polymers, compounds and other chemical formulations using feedstocks such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.

Green Star Products Inc. (GSPI) says they need lots of CO2 to feed their algae, which is being developed as a possible feedstock for biodiesel.

Algae farms are glutton eaters of CO2 gas and produce 100 times more oil per acre than traditional oil crops (such as soy oil), which can be converted to biodiesel. Algae can also produce high-grade animal feed (35-40% protein).

GSPI says algal biodiesel can reuse high volume CO2 generated from power plants. The only problem right now is picking the right algae to do the job of producing the right oil for biodiesel.

I'm now looking at my dirty fish tank with greener eyes...