In our dispatch of 7-16, we documented: "United States Patent 2,526,521 - Production of ... CO and H2", which was awarded in 1950 to Standard Oil, for a process that produced "gas mixtures suitable as feed gases for the catalytic synthesis of normally liquid hydrocarbons" from a blend of Methane, Steam and Carbon Dioxide.
Herein, we find that Standard Oil continued to develop and improve their methods for reacting Carbon Dioxide with Methane and Steam, in order to manufacture liquid hydrocarbon synthesis gas, and were subsequently, in 1952, awarded yet another US Patent for an advanced version of that CO2-recycling technology.
And, in fact, they actually solved, more than half a century ago, a problem that has, as we've documented in much more recent reports from Swiss and Israeli scientists concerning closely-related Methane-Carbon Dioxide tri-reforming science, been noted and addressed: Carbon deposition on catalyst surfaces.
Comment follows excerpts from:
"United States Patent 2,593,584 - Reforming Hydrocarbon Gases
Date: April, 1952
Inventor: Charles Lynch, NJ
Assignee: Standard Oil Development Company, DE
Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved process for producing gas mixtures containing CO and H2 from hydrocarbon gases by a reforming reaction with CO2 or (with) steam and CO2 ... particularly
when used for the production of gas mixtures suitable as feed gases for the catalytic synthesis of normally liquid hydrocarbons.
In recent years it has become desirable to manufacture gas mixtures containing ... CO and H2 in large volumes to supply the needs of the rapidly developing synthetic oil production from CO and H2.
It has long been known that gas mixtures containing H2 and CO in (appropriate) proportions may be produced from ... methane ... by a conversion with steam and CO2.
The present invention is based on the discovery that hydrocarbon gases may be converted with CO2 into gas mixtures containing H2 and CO in the presence of a catalyst consisting exclusively of magnesia and that no carbon is formed in this conversion."
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In other words, we can mix Carbon Dioxide, Methane and Steam, pass the mixture over "magnesia", and, via a technology which had, in 1952, "long been known", thereby produce "gas mixtures suitable as feed gases for the catalytic synthesis of normally liquid hydrocarbons".
And, we can do so without fouling the catalyst with Carbon.