North Carolina Patent of the Month – February 2025

In the race to decarbonize, 8 Rivers has unveiled a refreshingly elegant solution to one of climate tech’s hardest problems: direct air capture (DAC). Their newly patented method uses a passive system built around a thin layer of calcium-based sorbent applied to flexible sheets. These sheets can simply hang in the air—no fans, no reactors, no energy-intensive bells and whistles—and yet still absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere efficiently.

At the heart of this innovation is a low-cost, high-surface-area approach. By fine-tuning the sorbent layer to be less than 2.5 cm thick and applying it at densities as low as 0.1 kg per square meter, 8 Rivers maximizes the material’s exposure to ambient air. Over a period ranging from hours to days, the calcium reacts with CO₂ to form a carbonate layer. Once a sufficient amount of CO₂ has been captured, the sheets are flexed or shaken to remove the carbonated material for further processing—either to permanently sequester the carbon or regenerate the sorbent for reuse.

This method breaks away from the high-cost, energy-intensive models that have held DAC back from meaningful scale. By removing the need for forced air movement or chemical solvents, and by enabling regeneration via standard calcination, the system slashes both CAPEX and OPEX. It’s a clever design that doesn’t rely on reinventing the chemistry of carbon capture—just deploying it smarter.

With this patent, 8 Rivers opens the door to DAC at scale without the usual industrial overhead. It’s not just a cleaner solution; it’s a more scalable one. In the broader landscape of carbon removal technologies, that could make all the difference.

Are you developing new technology for an existing application? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

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