Daniel Kopp
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer/Chief Technology Officer, Queens Carbon
Daniel joins Breakthrough Energy’s Innovator Fellows program from Queens Carbon, Inc. in Pine Brook, New Jersey. He brings expertise in hydrothermal chemistry, CO2 intensive processes and utilization, and cementitious materials. As the father of two young children, he is determined to reduce the massive carbon footprint of industrial processes and thus help ensure a livable planet for future generations. At Queens Carbon, Daniel and his team are developing a novel technique that leverages hydrothermal processing to enable low-energy, low-cost solutions for carbonate decomposition reactions, specifically those needed for carbon capture and cement.
Calcination processes produce reactive oxides as feedstocks in industrial manufacturing processes, such as cement and glass. These processes use high temperatures to decompose carbonate minerals, releasing carbon dioxide from the carbonate mineral and the fossil fuel used toheat the calciner. Capturing or eliminating these emissions is essential to achieving net-zero targets by 2050, but existing technologies consume additional energy and add between 75-140% to the cost of production. Queens Carbon’s patented technology aims to reduce the temperature of carbonate processing to less than 1000 F, compared with over 1800 F and over 2700 F processes for cycling carbonate capture media and cement production, respectively. This temperature reduction diminishes the energy and cost of the process and enables renewable energy to be used. Once adopted on a global scale, Queens Carbon’s technology will enable gigatonne-scale decarbonization and defossilization of the chemical industry without compromising cost or product performance. Through the Fellows program, Daniel hopes to rapidly design, develop, and optimize the technology for commercialization.
Daniel holds a Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy in Material Science and Engineering from Rutgers University. Additionally, he has served as both a Postdoctoral Associate and Research Associate in the Riman Laboratories at Rutgers where he co-led research to lower the energy and carbon footprint of industrial products including cement and concrete.
Q&A
What beliefs drive you?
Being kind, compassionate, and respectful to people around me creates a positive energy that drives much success with my family, friends, and climate tech journey.
Who has had the greatest impact on your career path?
My Father and Grandfather, who are both PhDs. They have demonstrated the merits of STEM and how it gives life more meaning and purpose once you invent and commercialize a technology that has a great societal impact.
What is a fun fact about yourself?
I have a black belt in Tae Kwon Do!