We apologize for the size of this dispatch, comprising two enclosed links and two attached files, with excerpts, but we think it worthwhile.
Herein, it is documented that, even in a faraway, non-industrialized land, they recognize the inherent value in Carbon Dioxide, and have been at work to further develop the technology for employing it, in combination with Methane, in a fashion that seems similar to Penn State University's "Tri-reforming" process, as we have reported, to synthesize higher hydrocarbons, including plastics and liquid fuels.
With some comment interspersed and appended, the additional link and excerpts, which we have heavily edited due to length and technical density, follow:
"Carbon Dioxide Reforming of Methane to Syngas
Nor Aishah, Saidina Amin, et. al.
Jurnal Teknologi, 43(F) 2005: 15–30; Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Abstract: Rhodium (Rh) on Magnesium Oxide (MgO) catalyst have been investigated for carbon dioxide reforming of methane (CORM) with the effect of oxygen. The effect of temperature, O2/CH4 ratio and catalyst weight on the methane conversion, synthesis gas selectivity and H2/CO ratio were studied. ... The condition for maximum methane conversion ... (resulted) ... in 95% methane conversion.
Synthesis gas, a composition of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, can be used to produce high purity hydrogen streams and chemical products with higher added values such as hydrocarbons, oxygenated compounds and polycarbonates. Several processes can be applied to produce synthesis gas such as partial oxidation (POM), steam reforming (SRM) and carbon dioxide reforming of methane (CORM).
The main objective for combining the reforming reaction is to produce varied H2/CO ratios, which are appropriate for the production of oxygenated compounds, heavy hydrocarbons by Fisher Tropsch synthesis and carbon monoxide for synthesis of polycarbonates. ... the addition of carbon dioxide can significantly improve the reactor temperature control and reduce the risk of hot spot development ... (and) ... the oxygen feed ... can reduce the carbon deposition and increase methane conversion. ... this combined process may also reduce the cost of production because CO2 is cheap, abundant and a greenhouse gas.
The process of carbon dioxide reforming of methane with the effect of oxygen led to methane conversions ranging from 56 to 94% ...
(In other words, the addition of "cheap, abundant" Carbon Dioxide improved the conversion of Methane, which can be itself synthesized from CO2 or Coal, into higher hydrocarbons, to almost 100%.)
It was verified that the Rh/MgO catalyst has an outstanding catalyst reactivity and stability ... constant performance of 94% methane conversion ... were obtained ... . ... It can be deduced that Rh/MgO catalyst (has characteristics) important for commercial catalyst that can be used in Fisher-Tropsch process.
(Note mention of the Fischer-Tropsch process, and recall: That technology was originally invented, a long time ago, to make liquid fuel from Coal. - JtM)
Chemical Reaction Engineering Group (CREG), Faculty of Chemical and Natural Resources Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Skudai, Johor Bahru, Malaysia
September 2005
Abstract: The topics on conversion and utilization of methane and carbon dioxide are important issues in tackling the global warming effects from the two greenhouse gases. Several technologies including catalytic and plasma have been proposed to improve the process involving conversion and utilization of methane and carbon dioxide. In this paper, an overview of the basic principles, and the effects of CH4/CO2 feed ratio, total feed flow rate, discharge power, catalyst, applied voltage, wall temperature, and system pressure in dielectric-barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor are addressed. The discharge power, discharge gap, applied voltage and CH4/CO2 ratio in the feed showed the most significant effects on the reactor performance. Co-feeding carbon dioxide with the methane feed stream reduced coking and increased methane conversion. The H2/CO ratio in the products was significantly affected by CH4/CO2 ratio. The synergism of the catalyst placed in the discharge gap and the plasma affected the products distribution significantly. Methane and carbon dioxide conversions were influenced significantly by discharge power and applied voltage.
Mitigation of CO2, one of the most important greenhouse gases, is the crucial agenda in global warming issues. Meanwhile, the direct conversion of methane to C2C hydrocarbons and synthesis gas has a large implication towards the utilization of natural gas in the gas-based petrochemical and liquid fuel industries. The CH4/CO2 ratio in Natuna’s and Arun’s natural gas compositions ... should be strategically utilized for the production of synthesis gas, higher hydrocarbons, liquid fuels and other important chemicals.
(This work actually seems to be motivated by the impetus to utilize more fully Malaysia's natural gas, which we infer to be heavily contaminated with CO2. However, the work is still valid for our purposes: It is a combination of Methane and Carbon Dioxide, whether they are blended together naturally or artificially. - JtM)
Several technologies have been proposed to improve the efficiency of methane and carbon dioxide utilization. In the past decades, from the perspective of catalytic chemistry, most efforts have focused on the utilization of CO2 as a source of carbon. ... The potentials of non-conventional DBD plasma reactor for converting the two greenhouse gases, methane and CO2,to synthesis gas and higher hydrocarbons at low temperature and ambient pressure have also been recently reported.
(To repeat and rephrase:: CO2 and Methane can be converted together into "synthesis gas and higher hydrocarbons at low temperature and ambient pressure". That is, these two greenhouse gasses can be combined to, with very little energy input, make syngas which can be catalyzed, as you should by now know, into liquid fuels, up to and including diesel and gasoline-range hydrocarbons.)
Non-thermal plasma can be defined as gas consisting of electrons, highly excited atoms and molecules, ions, radicals, photons and neutral particles in which the electrons have a much higher energy than the neutral gas particles. Non-thermal plasma is also called non-equilibrium plasma due to the significant difference of temperature or kinetic energy between the electrons and the neutral particles. The gas temperature can be within the range of room temperature ... The non-thermal plasma can be generated and maintained by electrical discharge. The electrical discharge is a direct way to produce non-thermal plasma by applying a high voltage to a gas space and incurring gas breakdowns.
Pertaining to methane and carbon dioxide conversions, ... methane and carbon dioxide participate in the reactions and (are expected to) be converted into synthesis gases and higher hydrocarbons.
The effect of plasma reactor process variables, such as CH4/CO2 feed ratio, discharge power, system pressure, total feed flow rate, applied voltage, pulsed power, and the role of heterogeneous catalysis, are considered.
The oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) is a promising and novel route for the conversion of natural gas to C2 hydrocarbons in the presence of a basic catalyst ... . Recently, carbon dioxide was used to replace oxygen as an oxidant in oxidative coupling of methane by carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide, as an oxidant, has several advantages over O2. CO is the only by-product in this case.
(And, CO - Carbon Monoxide - is a key active ingredient in higher hydrocarbon synthesis via Fischer-Tropsch, and related, indirect Coal-to-liquid conversion technologies. - JtM)
Direct methane and carbon dioxide conversion into C2 hydrocarbons provides a novel route for the simultaneous activation and utilization of methane and carbon dioxide gases.
The DBD (dielectric-barrier discharge) plasma reactor shows potential for organic and inorganic chemical reactions. The potential is due to its ... capacity to induce physical and chemical reactions within gases at relatively low gas temperature.
The DBD reactor is a non-thermal plasma phenomenon, which is very promising for synthesis gas and organic chemical productions ... .
The methane conversion is ... much higher in the presence of CO2 than that without CO2. ... The co-feed of CH4 and CO2 promote the conversion of each other.
It was reported that for a cogeneration of syngas and higher hydrocarbons, the optimum CH4/CO2 ratio in the feed would be in the range of 2–3.
DBD plasma reactor was found as an efficient tool for co-generation of synthesis gas and C2C hydrocarbons from CH4 and CO2, the major greenhouse gases, to synthesis gas and higher hydrocarbons at low temperature and ambient pressure. .
... increasing wall temperature has no apparent influence on the selectivity to CO, C2,C3 hydrocarbons, methanol, C4, and C5C hydrocarbons within the investigated range.
It was demonstrated that there was a potential for successful application of the plasma techniques to the field of catalysis in order to improve existing catalytic processes, particularly in the co-generation of C2C and synthesis gases in the methane and CO2 reactions."
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Basically, they have revealed that, under "ambient", i.e., low energy, conditions of temperature and pressure, we can combine Methane with Carbon Dioxide, and make liquid fuels and plastics.
A thought:
The catalyzed syntheses are accomplished through controlled electrical discharges. We generate electricity with Coal, don't we?
As we have documented:
The Methane, required for reaction with Carbon Dioxide, can itself be synthesized from Carbon Dioxide via Nobel-winning Sabatier technology that is almost a century old. Or, Methane can be synthesized from Coal via gasification technology that is more than a century old.
In Malaysia, they know that we can recycle a by-product of Coal use, Carbon Dioxide, to manufacture liquid fuels and valuable organic chemicals, by combining it with a product that itself can be made from either Coal or Carbon Dioxide, i.e., Methane, in a process that utilizes electrical energy, which can be generated from Coal.
