We have been documenting the joint development, by Swiss and Israeli scientists, of technologies, similar to the tri-reforming technology espoused by Penn State University, wherein Carbon Dioxide can be reacted with Methane, which can itself be synthesized, via the Sabatier process, from Carbon Dioxide, to synthesize hydrocarbons of commercial value.
Herein, we present further documentation of their accomplishments in the efficient, and profitable, though in this case somewhat technically different, recycling of Carbon Dioxide.
Unfortunately, as with many of our US oil industry descriptions of Carbon Dioxide recycling, and Coal conversion, technologies, you have to dig deep and look sharp to discover what this is really all about.
Some preamble thus seems necessary, and, from the "Claims" section, we reproduce a few pertinent items, as follows:
"11. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that a fuel is produced.
19. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that methanol is produced by oxidation-reduction of carbonic acid."
Methanol is at least one of the products generated by this process, and, to clarify exactly what "carbonic acid" is, we rely yet again on the Wikipedia:
"Carbonic acid, H2CO3, (is) formed when carbon dioxide dissolves in water ... ."
Carbonic acid is, in other words, what you would produce by scrubbing a Coal-fired power plant's exhaust gasses with water. And, according to these Swiss scientists, and our own United States Patent Office, you can make Methanol out of it.
And, another foreword might be necessary, if you are thorough enough to open the link and review the full document: "CH" is the international abbreviation for Switzerland, and stands for their older, more formal name, "Confederation Helvetica".
All of that said, with comment appended, we present highly-abbreviated excerpts from:
"United States Patent 4,427,749 - Product Intended To Be Used As A Photocatalyst
Date: January, 1984
Inventor: Michael Graetzel, et. al., Switzerland
Abstract: The product is in the form of discrete particles or in the form of a layer comprising an electrode. It consists of a semi-conductor material subject to photo-corrosion, for example, cadmium sulphide. In order to prevent such photo-corrosion, the surface of the semi-conductor material, which is intended to be illuminated, is covered with a transparent layer of RuO2, IrO2 or a mixture of RuO2 and IrO2. The product may be used for the conversion of solar energy into electric energy or into a fuel such as hydrogen.
Claims: Product usable as a photocatalyst, comprising a semi-conductor material in the form of discrete particles or as a layer which comprises part of an electrode, said semi-conductor material being subject to photo-corrosion, characterized in that the surface of the semi-conductor material which is intended to be illuminated is covered with a transparent layer of ruthenium oxide, iridium oxide, or a mixture of ruthenium oxide and iridium oxide, which inhibits the photo-corrosion of the semi-conductor material.
10. Method for producing at least one of electric power and a substance which is chemically transformable with release of energy, said method comprising exposure to electromagnetic radiation of a surface of a semi-conductor material positioned within an electrolyte, said semiconductor material being subject to photocorrosion, said surface being covered with a transparent layer of ruthenium oxide, iridium oxide , or a mixture thereof, which inhibits the photo-corrosion of said semi-conductor material.
11. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that a fuel is produced.
12. Method according to claim 10 or 9, characterized in that the semiconductor material is in the form of a layer which comprises part of an electrode and in that it is used as anode electrically connected to a separate cathode having a low overvoltage surface for the reduction of a cation, water or CO2, both electrodes being immersed in an aqueous electrolyte.
11. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that a fuel is produced.
12. Method according to claim 10 or 9, characterized in that the semiconductor material is in the form of a layer which comprises part of an electrode and in that it is used as anode electrically connected to a separate cathode having a low overvoltage surface for the reduction of a cation, water or CO2, both electrodes being immersed in an aqueous electrolyte.
Description: The objects of the present invention are a product intended to be used as a photocatalyst, a method for the preparation of such product and the utilization of such product for generating electric power and/or generating a substance chemically transformable with release of energy, and the utilization of such product involving the exposure of the product to electromagnetic radiation."
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First of all, the "electromagnetic radiation" is intended to be, primarily, as a full reading reveals, sunlight.
And, the "substance chemically transformable with release of energy" is Methanol.
Again, the full patent is complex, and is focused primarily on the manufacture and specification of catalysts that make the conversion of "carbonic acid" - i.e., CO2 dissolved in water - into Methanol, as in our introductory excerpt from Claim 19, above, more efficient.
But, if you have followed our posts and recall the work being done by Rich Diver, and others, at our own Sandia and Los Alamos US National Laboratories, this shouldn't be a new concept.
Simply: Aqueous solutions of Carbon Dioxide, as could be obtained from the water scrubbing of power plant exhaust, can be converted, using environmental energy, such as sunlight, into Methanol. And, Methanol, of course, though a valuable liquid fuel in and of itself, can be further converted into Gasoline, as per ExxonMobil's "MTG"(r) technology; or, used as the raw material for the manufacture of certain plastics.
Moreover, and finally, this seems to be yet another "co-generation" technology, wherein either/or, or both, a liquid fuel and useable amounts of electric power can be created, using only Carbon Dioxide, Water, and Sunlight.