WV Coal Member Meeting 2024 1240x200 1 1

Korea & CO2 Recycling

 
 
We've now reported from several sources that Carbon Dioxide, co-produced by coal-fired power generation or coal-to-liquid fuel conversion, can itself be reclaimed and recycled - into more liquid fuels.
 
As additional evidence in support of that fact, we submit this report from Korea.
 
The excerpt has been edited slightly for the sake of clarity by the deletion of formulaic terms.
 
"Promotion of CO2 Hydrogenation in Fixed Bed Recycle Reactors 
M.J. Choi, J.S. Kim, S.B. Lee, W.Y. Lee and K.W. Lee
ENR Team, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Taejon 305-600, Korea
 

Summary

One of the promising technologies for the utilization of CO2 is the selective synthesis of valuable chemicals by means of catalytic hydrogenation. A catalytic fixed bed recycle reactor and series reactors have been proposed to increase the level of reaction conversion in conducting the hydrogenation of CO2. The hydrogenation of CO2 was carried out over Fe-K based catalyst. The conversion of carbon dioxide  increased with increasing reaction temperature and residence time in the fixed bed single reactor. ...  CO2 (hydrogenation) increased with increasing recycle ratio ... For the olefin rich production, maximum  (CO2) was the level of 75% in the recycle reactor, however paraffin selectivity was increased when the (CO2) was above 80%. From the results of experiments, the recycle reactor as an alternative reactor was beneficial ...for the hydrogenation of CO2 instead of the fixed bed single reactor."

A little confusing, perhaps; but, the upshot is that paraffins and olefins can be manufactured by hydrogenating Carbon Dioxide, and the Koreans are refining the types of apparatus ("reactor") that accomplish the conversion to achieve higher yields.

According to readily available inter net resources: "Paraffins" covers a lot of organic chemical ground, all the way from methane to candle wax, and the paraffin grade(s) in this report isn't specified. "Olefins" can be blended into gasoline, although the percentage content is limited by statute; but, over zeolite catalysts, it can, according to multiple published patents, be readily and directly converted into gasoline-type hydrocarbons. In any case, they're both useful products and could both contribute to satisfying our fuel needs, while at the same time consuming Carbon Dioxide.