As with research and development of coal liquefaction and carbon dioxide conversion technologies we've cited from other nations, there seems to be, in Japan, one persistent champion of CO2 recycling: Kiyohisa Ohta, of Mie University's Environmental Preservation Center.
We submit herein a series of three reports, with links and excerpts, the first one attached as a file. All are authored, in part, by Ohta, and they demonstrate that Carbon Dioxide is, indeed, a resource of value that we should devote ourselves to finding ways in which it can be more profitably utilized, rather than, temporarily and at great unproductive cost, be disposed of.
First up is the most recent. The other links and excerpts follow, documenting that the science for recycling, for utilizing, Carbon Dioxide is, in Japan, understood and undergoing continuous improvement.
We have edited heavily, and added comments interspersed and following:.
"Electrochemical and Photoelectrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide in Metal Powder-Suspended Methanol
Yousuke Ueno, Satoshi Kaneco, Tohru Suzuki, Hideyuki Katsumata and Kiyohisa Ohta
1 Department of Chemistry for Materials, Faculty of Engineering, Mie University, Japan
2 Environmental Preservation Center, Mie University, Japan
Abs. 66, 206th Meeting, © 2004 The Electrochemical Society, Inc
1. Introduction
... carbon capture prefers a relatively pure stream of the gas. Pathways for carbon capture come from potential sources such as several industrial processes which produce highly concentrated streams of CO2 as a byproduct, power plants which emit more than one-third of CO2 emissions worldwide and the production method of hydrogen fuels from carbon-rich feedstocks. CO2 can be removed from the gas streams by physical and chemical absorption. Recently, the chemical absorption using amines represents the most widely deployed commercial technology for capture. However, in other commercial applications, the typical solvents for physically absorbing CO2 include glycol-based compounds and cold methanol.
(Keep in mind that methanol can be itself synthesized from Carbon Dioxide, or Coal. But, Penn State University, as documented, has been at work on "Tri-reforming" technology which, as our limited capacity allows us to understand it, enables the use of raw flue gas in similar CO2 transformations, and the costs of purifying and concentrating CO2 are thus eliminated. Also recall that Sandia National Lab has, as have others, been developing economical technologies to extract nearly-pure CO2 from the atmosphere. - JtM)
Methanol is a better solvent of CO2 than water, particular at low temperature, because the solubility of
CO2 in methanol is approximately five times that in water at ambient temperature and eight to fifteen times that in water at temperatures below 0 oC. Therefore, methanol has been industrially used as the physical absorbent of CO2 in Rectisol method at low temperature. Currently, over 70 large-scale plants apply the Rectisol process.
CO2 in methanol is approximately five times that in water at ambient temperature and eight to fifteen times that in water at temperatures below 0 oC. Therefore, methanol has been industrially used as the physical absorbent of CO2 in Rectisol method at low temperature. Currently, over 70 large-scale plants apply the Rectisol process.
Recently, many investigators have actively studied the electrochemical reduction of CO2.
Results and discussion
In the electrochemical reduction of CO2 at Pb electrode in methanol without the copper powder, the main reduction products from CO2 were carbon monoxide and formic acid. However, in the presence of copper
powder, hydrocarbons such as methane and ethylene were formed by the electrochemical reduction of CO2 in methanol. ... The same phenomena were observed at Zn electrode."
In the electrochemical reduction of CO2 at Pb electrode in methanol without the copper powder, the main reduction products from CO2 were carbon monoxide and formic acid. However, in the presence of copper
powder, hydrocarbons such as methane and ethylene were formed by the electrochemical reduction of CO2 in methanol. ... The same phenomena were observed at Zn electrode."
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Again, we were compelled to edit out much discussion, which includes the now-obligatory genuflections to the dangers of human-derived CO2. But: Carbon monoxide, as produced herein, has applications in hydrocarbon syntheses, including those targeted on fuel production; and, formic acid, among other things, can be used in fuel cells. Methane and ethylene, as we've documented, can be used to synthesize liquid fuels. Methane, especially, can be combined, "reformed", with even more Carbon Dioxide to create more complex hydrocarbons, including Methanol.
Ohta, and other colleagues, have been at this work for quite some time, as evidenced by the following, earlier report, wherein efficiency improvements for the conversion of Carbon Dioxide, into hydrocarbons appropriate for a variety of uses, including further processing into fuels, are documented:
The excerpt:
"Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to Hydrocarbons with High Efficiency
Satoshi Kaneco, Kenji Iiba, Syo-ko Suzuki, Kiyohisa Ohta, and Takayuki Mizuno
[Unable to display image]Department of Chemistry for Materials, Faculty of Engineering, Mie University, Japan
J. Phys. Chem. B, 1999, 103 (35), pp 7456–7460
August 13, 1999
Copyright © 1999 American Chemical Society
The electrochemical reduction of CO2 with a Cu electrode in LiOH/methanol-based electrolyte was investigated. A divided H-type cell was employed, the supporting electrolytes were ... lithium hydroxide in methanol and potassium hydroxide in methanol. The main products from CO2 were methane, ethylene, carbon monoxide, and formic acid. The maximum current efficiency for hydrocarbons (methane and ethylene) was of 78% ... the efficiency of hydrogen formation, a competing reaction of CO2 reduction, was depressed to below 2% at relatively negative potentials. On the basis of this work, the high efficiency electrochemical CO2 to hydrocarbon conversion method appears to be achieved. ... This research can contribute to the large-scale manufacturing of fuel gases from readily available and inexpensive raw materials, CO2-saturated methanol from industrial absorbers ... ."
Again, the Methanol, in which this "high efficiency electrochemical CO2 to hydrocarbon conversion" takes place, can itself, as we have documented, be synthesized from either Carbon Dioxide or Coal - your choice. But, in any case, it is noted that "high efficiency ... CO2 to hydrocarbon conversion ... (is) ... achieved" and these results "can contribute to the large-scale manufacturing of fuel gases from readily available and inexpensive raw materials", i.e., Carbon Dioxide.
We wonder why we haven't been informed of the good news.
In any case, Ohta's trail reaches even further back, and we believe we've cited Ohta, et.al., a few other times, in earlier and separate dispatches, as well. A full review of his literature might be rewarding. In any case, following, it's reported that, more than 15 years ago, it was known that CO2 could be broken apart electrochemically, at temperatures and conditions easily achievable in industrial practice. As in:
"Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide in methanol at low temperature
A. Naitoh, K. Ohta, T. Mizuno, H. Yoshida, M. Sakai and H. Noda
April 1993
Abstract
The electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide in methanol has been investigated at low temperature. The electrolysis with a copper cathode and a platinum anode was performed in methanol ... . By the electrochemical reduction in methanol ... carbon monoxide, methane and ethylene ... were produced from carbon dioxide at 0°C. At −15°C, 24.0% carbon monoxide, 39.1% methane and 4.4% ethylene were obtained. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the Faradaic efficiency of hydrocarbons such as methane and ethylene were better than that obtained in aqueous catholyte."
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A large percentage of "carbon monoxide" might not initially sound all that exciting. But, it is, unlike Carbon Dioxide, highly reactive and most definitely can be used in the syntheses of organic chemicals - additional hydrocarbon fuels included.
But, note: We do obtain a high percentage of Methane. With that, we can, as per the Penn State University process, "Tri-reform" more Carbon Dioxide into more, and more useful, hydrocarbons.
A choice we all have, it seems, is to reclaim and recycle our Carbon Dioxide into valuable and versatile "Hydrocarbons with High Efficiency", rather than to tax our coal industries out of existence for making it for us, or to force them to stuff it all down a leaky geologic sequestration rat hole.