University of Oklahoma researchers model how CO2 could combine with ethylene to make acrylic acid

In Oklahoma, funded by the Department of Energy, a theoretical study led researchers at the University of Oklahoma is modeling how carbon dioxide could be combined with ethylene, the most common industrial chemical, to make acrylic acid, a common component of many household industrial products.

Acrylic acid is used to make disposable diapers, clothing, plastics, and many other consumer applications. It is currently produced by oxidation of propene, a gaseous product of oil refineries.

Researchers have been investigating this alternate approach for more than four decades to try to find a more durable solution to making acrylic acid.