We have made earlier reports on, variously, multiple United States Patents and US Patent Applications, wherein the University of Southern California's Nobel Prize-winning scientist, George Olah, and colleagues, defined ways in which Carbon Dioxide can be productively and profitably reclaimed and recycled. Those included technologies describing, for instance, the ""Electrolysis of Carbon Dioxide ... For Production of Methanol" and "Method for Producing ... Hydrocarbons from ... Air".
Herein is yet another United States Patent Application submitted by Olah, in which he proposes that the "Carbon Footprint" left by humanity can even be productively eliminated.
Comment follows excerpts from:
"US Patent Application 20090285739 - Eliminating the Carbon Footprint of Human Activities
Publication Date: November, 2009
Inventor: George Olah, et. al., CA
Abstract: A method for neutralizing or reducing the carbon footprint from carbon dioxide emissions due to human activities related to the combustion or use of carbon containing fuels. This method includes an initial step of capturing carbon dioxide and then chemically recycling it to form and provide a permanent inexhaustible supply of carbon containing fuels or products, which subsequently can be combusted or used without increasing the carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere. Thus, the current lifestyles that rely extensively on conventional carbon containing fuels and products can continue indefinitely without harming the environment to preserve and even improve the earth's atmosphere for the benefit of future generations.
Claims: A method for neutralizing or reducing carbon dioxide emissions due to human activities related to the combustion or use of carbon containing fuels, which comprises capturing carbon dioxide and chemically recycling it to form carbon containing compounds or products which can be combusted or used without increasing the carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon dioxide is captured from flue or off-gases of coal or other fossil fuel burning plants, geothermal power facilities, cement, aluminum or other industrial plants or factories, industrial or agricultural wastes or byproducts of natural gas production.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the carbon dioxide is captured and removed from the air or atmosphere.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the available carbon dioxide source is the atmosphere and the carbon dioxide is obtained by absorbing atmospheric carbon dioxide onto a suitable adsorbent followed by treating or heating the adsorbent to release the adsorbed carbon dioxide therefrom.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon containing compounds are carbon containing fuels or synthetic hydrocarbons.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the captured carbon dioxide is chemically converted into methanol by hydrogenative reductive processes.
7. The method of claim 6, which further comprises dehydrating the methanol that is produced under conditions sufficient to produce dimethyl ether.
8. The method of claim 6, which further comprises converting the methanol or dimethyl ether in the presence of an acidic-basic or zeolitic catalysts to form ethylene or propylene.
9. The method of claim 8, which further comprises converting the ethylene or propylene either to higher olefins, synthetic hydrocarbons or aromatics, or their products for use as feedstocks for chemicals or as transportation fuels.
10. The method of claim 8, which further comprises hydrating the ethylene or propylene to form ethanol, propanol or isopropanol.
11. The method of claim 7, wherein the dimethyl ether is used as a substitute for diesel fuel, natural gas or LPG for heating purposes for households or industrial use.
12. The method of claim 6, which further comprises forming dimethyl carbonate by reaction of the methanol with phosgene or by oxidative carbonylation of the methanol.
Summary: The invention relates to a method for neutralizing or reducing the carbon footprint from carbon dioxide emissions due to human activities related to the combustion or use of conventional carbon containing fuels. This method includes an initial step of capturing carbon dioxide and then chemically recycling it to form and provide a new and permanently inexhaustible supply of carbon containing compounds in the form of fuels, synthetic hydrocarbons or other products, which fuels and products subsequently can be combusted or used without increasing the overall carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere. The invention also relates to the use of captured or recycled carbon dioxide to form such new carbon containing compounds or products to thus control and reduce the carbon dioxide emissions which result in the overall carbon footprint of the planet. Thus, the current lifestyles that rely extensively on conventional carbon containing fuels and products can continue indefinitely by substituting the new carbon containing compounds or products obtained by recycling of carbon dioxide without harming the environment to preserve and hopefully improve the earth's atmosphere for the benefit of future generations.
The present invention thus achieves mitigation of the harmful generation of CO2 ... through the initial capture of the equivalent or excess amount of carbon dioxide that is currently generated and by chemically recycling it ... to methanol or dimethyl ether making the human carbon footprint neutral or even in cases negative. These materials can be then used as convenient energy storage and transportation materials, fuels (including for internal combustion or fuel cells), household and industrial gases (for heating, cooking, etc.) as well as renewable raw materials for producing synthetic hydrocarbons and their products. By mitigating the harmful excessive carbon footprint of human activities ... . ... it is assuring humankind of an inexhaustible, renewable and environmentally benign carbon source, namely, carbon dioxide, that is the starting point for making the fuels and products that are relied upon so heavily by everyone. "
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Note, that, as we have earlier documented, Methanol can be produced from Carbon Dioxide, as well as from Coal; and, once we have Methanol, we can do many, many things with it; including synthesizing Gasoline; and, creating raw materials for the manufacture of Plastics - wherein the original CO2 consumed in the synthesis of Methanol would be permanently sequestered.
