Carbon capture, utilization, and storage: Scientific basis, practical applications, and climate role

Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) has gained renewed attention as coal continues to dominate global energy systems despite escalating climate concerns. This review outlines the scientific foundations, integration pathways, and practical viability of CCUS in coal-fired applications, focusing on post-combustion, pre-combustion, and oxyfuel processes. It examines emerging utilization technologies that convert captured carbon into industrial and construction inputs. CO₂ transport behavior depends heavily on pressure, temperature, and impurity content; imbalances in these variables trigger phase transitions among liquid, gas, and supercritical states. The review draws from modeled trajectories by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and International Energy Agency (IEA), aligning CCUS with national strategies in the United States, China, and India. CCUS enables emission reductions in emission-intensive sectors and lowers carbon intensity in thermal power generation. High costs, regulatory uncertainty, and fragmented policy and infrastructure constrain its large-scale deployment. This study presents a unified modification strategy that integrates durability, photothermal responsiveness, and self-cleaning behavior into a scalable and cost-effective graphite felt substrate. The approach transcends conventional single-property optimization by offering a multifunctional surface capable of sustained adsorption and thermal recovery under direct sunlight, marking a step toward practical and economically viable environmental remediation applications.