Subject: Stewart, CoalTL: Japan Recycles CO2 Directly to Ethanol
The promoters of environmental consciousness, and the peddlers of environmental "solutions", some of whose true motives, as we've documented, might be, like our environment, somewhat less than pristine, have long pushed, among other things like Sequestration, the concept of using Ethanol, derived at great expense and with high carbon emissions, all as we've documented, from our food supply, as a "clean" replacement, or additive, for our gasoline.
Actually, Ethanol is a valuable resource. It can, again as we've documented, itself be directly converted into gasoline, which is a more potent liquid fuel than ethanol itself, and not just used as a gasoline "additive". It can also be used in the synthesis of plastics and other organic compounds of significant commercial value.
In reports dating back into the 1950's and 1960's, we've also documented that, if it is Ethanol we want, for whatever purpose, we can synthesize it more cheaply and more directly, from coal.
As it happens, there might be an even better way of obtaining ethanol.
We can skip entirely the processes of photosynthesis and fermentation, and the costly, carbon-emitting efforts they require for the commercial production of Ethanol based on Agriculture. We can also spare our Coal for more important direct uses and conversions. And, we can skip the utterly non-productive exploitations of Cap&Trade and Geologic Sequestration.
If we want and need Ethanol, we can make it directly by recycling Carbon Dioxide, as explained by these Japanese scientists:
"Title: Highly Effective Synthesis of Ethanol by CO2 Hydrogenation ... on ... FT Catalysts
Authors: Inui, T.; Yamamoto, T.; Inoue, M.; Hara, H.; Takeguchi, T.; Kim, J.
Affiliation: Department of Energy and Hydrocarbon Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
Abstract: Novel composite catalysts for selective synthesis of ethanol by hydrogenation of carbon dioxide have been developed. The three different kinds of elementary reaction functions for ethanol synthesis were undertaken. These catalytic functions were partial-reduction of CO2 to CO, C-C bond formation, and -OH group formation. Furthermore, in order to stabilize the optimum reductive state of the catalyst during reaction under a high conversion or a high reaction rate condition, both hydrogen spillover and inverse spillover functions were combined with the above-mentioned composite catalysts. Based on the properties of the elemental catalysts to be combined, their adopting ratios and configurations were most appropriately chosen. As a result, ethanol could be synthesized ... ."
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As with many of our reports, technicalities in the Abstracts are beyond our limited ability to fully understand or adequately explain, and the summations are often themselves sparse in the extreme.
But, the essence is: We can directly recycle the Carbon Dioxide by-product of our Coal use into the valuable liquid fuel, and raw material for gasoline and plastics synthesis, Ethanol, through a "Highly Effective" ... "CO2 Hydrogenation" which uses "FT Catalysts".
Now, by "FT Catalysts" we suppose them to mean the same "Fischer-Tropsch"-type catalysts that are used to convert synthesis gas, derived from Coal, into liquid hydrocarbons suitable for refining into direct replacements for the liquid fuels we now use in our transportation fleet.
So, by refining and commercializing indirect Coal liquefaction industry, we could also be establishing the technological and industrial base for recycling, into more liquid fuels, the most objectionable byproduct of coal-based power generation and internal combustion: Carbon Dioxide.
Is there some reason we wouldn't want to do all of that?