LSU research could turn carbon into useful resource

Cal Hendershot, LSU researcher. Courtesy: LSU

LSU doctoral student Cal Hendershot and his advisor, LSU Professor John Flake, are working on a way to effectively take carbon dioxide from the air and use it to make essential products, but with net-negative carbon emissions.

Combined with electricity from renewable sources, their technology could significantly reduce the state’s carbon footprint while helping Louisiana’s chemical industry turn a waste product into a valuable resource.

Hendershot is working toward a Ph.D. in chemical engineering, but with an eye on economics—more precisely, on the sustainability and bottom line of Louisiana’s vital energy industry. The focus of his research is on developing solutions for chemical companies, which are closely tied to oil and gas, to allow them to stay true to 2050 carbon neutrality commitments but remain operational and profitable along the way. Read the entire announcement.