Materials Characterization Intern

Aircapture, a Berkeley-based direct air capture company, has won Tencent's CarbonX 2.0 award for its Lightswing™ microwave-based carbon capture technology. The company is one of 16 winners sharing nearly $30 million in funding. Lightswing uses targeted microwave energy to release captured CO₂ from sorbent material without heating the entire system, significantly reducing energy costs and equipment requirements compared to conventional thermal regeneration methods. This addresses a primary barrier to commercial-scale direct air capture viability. As part of the award, Aircapture will build a 100-tonne-per-year pilot facility in Kenya's Rift Valley, where basalt geology enables permanent underground CO₂ sequestration. Founded in 2019, Aircapture already operates commercially deployed systems supplying CO₂ to industrial customers across the US, Japan and Europe.

Aircapture and Corning partner to advance commercial pathways for direct air capture. Photo: Aircapture LLC March 30, 2026 BY Aircapture LLC Aircapture and Corning Incorporated have announced the transition of their multi-year collaboration toward commercial deployment of modular direct air capture technology, with Corning supplying advanced honeycomb ceramic materials engineered for CO[2] capture in Aircapture's systems. After several years of joint pilot-stage research, development and system integration, Aircapture has begun deploying modular DAC systems across beverage, concrete and other industrial markets. Corning is scaling its newest substrate technology - developed specifically for CO[2] capture - to support broader commercial adoption. Aircapture's modular units are compact, rapidly deployable and can be installed and commissioned in days rather than months. The systems have demonstrated CO[2] production at up to 99.998% purity for use in commercial applications including beverage carbonation, greenhouse agriculture, concrete processing and permanent sequestration. Corning's substrate draws on more than 50 years of ceramic engineering expertise, featuring an engineered microstructure optimized for solid sorbent and flow-through adsorption processes that supports continuous operation under direct air capture conditions. The collaboration has already demonstrated field results. Under Project Hajar in the United Arab Emirates, Aircapture deployed eight modular DAC units featuring Corning's substrates and achieved operational status in 17 days. Aircapture was later named a winner of the XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition. "Aircapture was founded on the premise that atmospheric CO[2] is not just a problem to be reduced, but a resource that can be put to productive use," said Matt Atwood, founder and CEO of Aircapture. "Partnerships like Corning who bring world-class ceramic engineering expertise play an important role in that progress. This level of technical collaboration is essential to building and deploying DAC systems that are profitable and scalable." "For over 175 years, Corning has applied its expertise in materials science to help solve some of the world's toughest challenges," said Willard Cutler, division vice president and commercial technology director of Corning Environmental Technologies. "We're pleased to collaborate with Aircapture as it advances commercial deployment of direct air capture." The International Energy Agency estimates that carbon removal will need to scale to billions of tonnes annually by mid-century. June 2-4, 2026 AMERICA'S CENTER | ST. LOUIS,MO Capturing and storing carbon dioxide in underground wells has the potential to become the most consequential technological deployment in the history of the broader biofuels industry. Deploying effective carbon capture and storage at biofuels plants will cement ethanol and biodiesel as the lowest carbon liquid fuels commercially available in the marketplace. The Carbon Capture & Storage Summit will offer attendees a comprehensive look at the economics of carbon capture and storage, the infrastructure required to make it possible and the financial and marketplace impacts to participating producers. View More June 2-4, 2026 AMERICA'S CENTER | ST. LOUIS,MO Now in its 42nd year, the FEW provides the ethanol industry with cutting-edge content and unparalleled networking opportunities in a dynamic business-to-business environment. As the largest, longest running ethanol conference in the world, the FEW is renowned for its superb programming - powered by Ethanol Producer Magazine - that maintains a strong focus on commercial-scale ethanol production, new technology, and near-term research and development. The event draws more than 2,300 people from over 31 countries and from nearly every ethanol plant in the United States and Canada.View More June 2-4, 2026 AMERICA'S CENTER | ST. LOUIS,MO The Sustainable Fuels Summit: SAF, Renewable Diesel, and Biodiesel is a premier forum designed for producers of biodiesel, renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to learn about cutting-edge process technologies, innovative techniques, and equipment to optimize existing production. Attendees will discover efficiencies that save money while increasing throughput and fuel quality. This world-class event features premium content from technology providers, equipment vendors, consultants, engineers, and producers to advance discussions and foster an environment of collaboration and networking. Through engaging presentations, fruitful discussions, and compelling exhibitions, the summit aims to push the biomass-based diesel sector beyond its current limitations.View More August 25-27, 2026 GREATER TACOMA CONVENTION CENTER | TACOMA,WASHINGTON Taking place August 25-27, 2026 in Tacoma, Washington, the North American SAF Conference & Expo, produced by SAF Magazine, in collaboration with the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) will showcase the latest strategies for aviation fuel decarbonization, solutions for key industry challenges, and highlight the current opportunities for airlines, corporations and fuel producers. The North American SAF Conference & Expo is designed to promote the development and adoption of practical solutions to produce SAF and decarbonize the aviation sector. Exhibitors will connect with attendees and showcase the latest technologies and services currently offered within the industry. During two days of live sessions, attendees will learn from industry experts and gain knowledge to become better informed to guide business decisions as the SAF industry continues to expand. View More

Aircapture and Almanac Beer Co. have launched Flow – Clean Air Edition, the world's first commercial beer carbonated with CO₂ captured from the atmosphere using direct air capture technology. The system, installed at Almanac's Alameda, California brewery, pulls carbon dioxide from ambient air and delivers 99.999% pure beverage-grade liquid CO₂ directly into the brewing process. The collaboration addresses CO₂ supply volatility that hit breweries hard in 2022, when shortages emerged from fossil-fuel-linked industrial processes. Aircapture's modular DAC unit became operational within weeks and allows breweries to generate their own CO₂ onsite, independent of unpredictable supply chains. Flow – Clean Air Edition is now available at Almanac's brewery and over 800 locations statewide, including Safeway, Whole Foods and Total Wine. A portion of proceeds supports Carbon180, a carbon removal policy nonprofit.