United States Patent: 6703429
We have previously documented the Coal conversion expertise owned by California's Chevron.
Presuming you to recall at least a few of our earlier reports, Chevron not only developed some of their own Coal and Carbon conversion processes, but came to own an extensive portfolio of additional Coal gasification and Coal liquefaction technologies in their acquisitions of both Texaco and Pittsburgh's former Gulf Oil.
In the United States Patent we send along in this dispatch, Chevron discloses, and through their disclosure confirms, a number of facts we have earlier reported, including: not only can Coal be efficiently converted into anything we now derive from petroleum, but, Carbon Dioxide can be recycled in properly-designed Coal conversion processes in a way that utilizes and transforms that accused greenhouse pollutant, and thereby increases the output of commercially valuable hydrocarbon products.
The full Disclosure is lengthy and complex. So, to highlight, especially, the facts concerning Carbon Dioxide, we present a selected few, and just a few, of Chevron's listed reference works as a foreword:
"Fujiwara, M., et al., Change of catalytic properties of FE-ZnO/zeolite composite catalyst in the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide, Applied Catalysis A: General, 154, 1997, pp. 87-101, Elsevier Science B.V.
Jeon, J.K., et al., Selective synthesis of C3 -C4 hydrocarbons through carbon dioxide hydrogenation on hybrid catalysts composed of a methanol synthesis catalyst and SAPO, Applied Catalysis A: General, 124, 1995, pp. 91-106, Elsevier Science B.V.
Kieffer, R., et al., Hydrogenation of CO and CO2 toward methanol, alcohols and hydrocarbons on promoted copper-rare earth oxides catalysts, catalysis Today, 36, 1997, pp. 15-24, Elsevier Science B.V.
Souma, Y., et al., Hydrocarbon synthesis from CO2 over composite catalysts, Studies in Surface Science and Catalysis, vol. 114, 1998, pp. 327-332, Elsevier Science B.V.
Tan, Y., et al., Syntheses of Isobutane and Branched Higher Hydrocarbons from Carbon Dioxide and Hydrogen over Composite Catalysts, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, vol. 38, No. 9, Sep. 1999, pp. 3225-3229, American Chemical Society, Washington D.C.
.
Xu, Q., et al., Hydrogenation of carbon dioxide over Fe-Cu-Na/zeolite composite catalysts, Studies in the Surface Science and Catalysis, vol 114, 1998, Elsevier Science B.V. "
----------
That should give you some inkling that a rather vast body of knowledge concerning the truth that Carbon Dioxide can be treated as a valuable raw material resource is "out there". And, such truth only awaits public exposition to dispel the lies and deliberately-fostered public misconceptions about Carbon Dioxide; myths that have been intensively nurtured over the past several decades by certain special interest groups, "concerned" citizens who know the truth, and who are focused on getting their hands on as much free CO2 as they can.
Further, so complex is Chevron's Disclosure, they feel obliged to include a list of definitions, some of which, for the sake of clarity, we also present as foreword:
""Synthesis gas" or "syngas" means a gaseous mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, and ... (the) synthesis gas or gases used in the present invention may be derived from a variety of sources such as, for example, methane, light hydrocarbons, coal, petroleum products, or combinations thereof. Such sources can be used to generate synthesis gas through processes such as, for example, steam reforming, partial oxidation, gasification purification of synthesis gas, and combinations of these processes. More specific examples of processes for generating synthesis gas include the reforming of methane or the gasification of coal ... .
(The emphasis above is added. Keep in mind: Methane can by synthesized via the century-old Sabatier process, now being further developed by NASA, from Carbon Dioxide; and, Methane can be "reformed" through reactions with Carbon Dioxide; all as we have previously documented. And, almost predictably, the above excerpted passage is the only place, in the entire Disclosure, where Coal, as a source of synthesis gas, is specifically identified. - JtM)
"Hydrocarbonaceous" means containing hydrogen and carbon atoms and potentially also containing heteroatoms such as oxygen, sulfur, or nitrogen.
"Full range of hydrocarbonaceous products" means a range of hydrocarbonaceous products including, but not limited to, high octane blend streams, jet fuel, diesel fuel, other distillate fuels, lube base stock, and lube base stock feedstock.
"High octane gasoline range alkylate" is a product of an alkylation process having high octane.
"High octane aromatic gasoline" means a Gasoline with a high octane containing greater than 25 wt % aromatics preferably greater than 50 wt % aromatics. "High octane gasoline blend" or "high octane gasoline blend component" means is a material that has greater than 85 octane by the research octane method, preferably greater than or equal to 90, most preferably greater than or equal to 95. Research Octane Numbers are measured by ASTM D2699 "Standard Test Method for Research Octane Number of Spark-Ignition Engine Fuels""
--------------
All of the foregoing will, we hope, help you to understand the full scope of Chevron's technology for converting Coal and recycling Carbon Dioxide into a complete range of petroleum-type products.
Summary comment follows additional excerpts from the complete publication of:
"United States Patent 6,703,429 - Converting Synthesis Gas into Hydrocarbonaceous Products
Date: March, 2004
Inventor: Dennis O'Rear and Charles Kibby, CA
Assignee: Chevron USA Inc., CA
Abstract: The present invention discloses a process for converting synthesis gas into hydrocarbonaceous products including the steps of: (a) subjecting a first portion of synthesis gas to a dual functional syngas conversion process to form a first effluent comprising a first hydrocarbonaceous product including aromatics and iso-paraffins; (b) subjecting a second portion of synthesis gas to a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process to form a second effluent comprising a second hydrocarbonaceous product including linear paraffins and linear olefins; and (c) alkylating the linear olefins with the iso-paraffins to produce high octane gasoline range alkylate.
Claims: A process for converting synthesis gas into hydrocarbonaceous products, the process comprising the steps of: a) subjecting a first portion of synthesis gas to a dual functional syngas conversion process to form a first effluent comprising a first hydrocarbonaceous product including aromatics and iso-paraffins and unreacted syngas; b) subjecting a second portion of synthesis gas comprising at least a portion of the unreacted synges to a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process to form a second effluent comprising a second hydrocarbonaceous product including linear paraffins and linear olefins; and c) alkylating the linear olefins with the iso-paraffins to produce high octane gasoline range alkylate
(and) wherein the iso-paraffins of the first hydrocarbonaceous product include iso-butane.
(and) wherein the first hydrocarbonaceous product includes high octane aromatic gasoline.
(and) wherein the second hydrocarbonaceous product includes linear alcohol, linear acid, and naphtha.
(and) wherein the second hydrocarbonaceous product (comprises) greater than 70% paraffins.
(and) wherein the first portion of synthesis gas and at least a portion of the second portion of synthesis gas are derived from a common source of synthesis gas.
(and) wherein the first portion of synthesis gas and at least a portion of the second portion of synthesis gas are derived from different sources of synthesis gas.
(and) further comprising processing the second hydrocarbonaceous product into at least one of jet fuel, diesel fuel, other distillate fuel, lube base stock, or lube base feed stock.
(and) wherein the high octane aromatic gasoline and the high octane gasoline range alkylate are mixed to produce a high octane gasoline blend component.
Summary: The present invention relates to processes for converting synthesis gas into hydrocarbonaceous products ... (which includes) subjecting a first portion of synthesis gas to a dual functional syngas conversion process to form a first effluent comprising a first hydrocarbonaceous product including aromatics and iso-paraffins (and) subjecting a second portion of synthesis gas to a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process to form a second effluent comprising a second hydrocarbonaceous product including linear paraffins and linear olefins (and) alkylating the linear olefins with the iso-paraffins to produce high octane gasoline range alkylate.
In a further aspect of the present invention, a process for converting synthesis gas into hydrocarbonaceous products is provided that comprises the steps of ... providing a synthesis gas (and) subjecting at least a portion of the synthesis gas to a dual functional syngas conversion process to form a first effluent comprising a first portion of unreacted synthesis gas, carbon dioxide, a first portion of water, and a first hydrocarbonaceous product including aromatics and iso-butane (and) separating the first hydrocarbonaceous product into a light gas fraction, an iso-butane-containing stream, and a high octane aromatic gasoline blend component (and) subjecting the unreacted synthesis gas to a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process to form a second effluent comprising a second portion of water, a second portion of unreacted synthesis gas, and a second hydrocarbonaceous product ... .
According to the present invention, a process is provided for converting (syngas) into hydrocarbonaceous products by utilizing a dual functional syngas conversion process and a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process. The present invention can produce a full range of hydrocarbonaceous products that are typically not produced when using either Fischer-Tropsch synthesis or dual functional syngas conversion by themselves.
The process of the present invention involves providing a synthesis gas or gases, subjecting a first portion of synthesis gas to a dual functional syngas conversion process, and subjecting a second portion of synthesis gas to a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process. Linear olefins produced in the dual functional syngas conversion process are alkylated with iso-paraffins produced in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process to form high octane gasoline range alkylate. Other products that may be produced by the present invention include high octane aromatic gasoline, high octane gasoline blend streams, jet fuel, diesel fuel, other distillate fuels, lube base stock, and lube base stock feedstock. The dual functional syngas conversion process and the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process may be operated in parallel (i.e., side by side) or in series to produce the desired products ... ."
------------
Truth to tell, as with Chevron's aforementioned avoidance of the word "Coal", they don't mention Carbon Dioxide much by name, either, except in their reference list, some of which we excerpted for you in our introductory comments. And, in point of fact, there is one stage in Chevron's complicated process where the removal of some, very minor, amount of co-generated CO2 is directed, with it's final disposition seemingly left unspecified.
However, their inclusion of that reference list, with it's many expositions of Carbon Dioxide recycling technology; and, the fact that their process is obviously centered around and based on the oft-cited "Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process", which was first developed long ago to synthesize liquid fuels from Coal; should clarify for you that Chevron's intent in this recently-issued United States Patent is:
The synthesis of "high octane aromatic gasoline, high octane gasoline blend streams, jet fuel, diesel fuel, other distillate fuels, lube base stock, and lube base stock feedstock" from Carbon Dioxide and Coal.