We present two, somewhat contemporary, developments of fairly recent vintage in this dispatch.
Taken together, the documents confirm related facts establishing the overall truth that Carbon Dioxide can be recycled through interaction with hot Coal, with the subsequent utilization of Water; and, via the combination of those processes, be consumed in the synthesis of hydrocarbon fuels.
First, from the initial link in this dispatch, we confirm yet again that Carbon Monoxide can be readily produced via the simple, and seemingly-obvious, expedient of passing Carbon Dioxide, reclaimed from whatever source, through hot Coal.
And, that confirmation comes from a very credible source that should be familiar to most in Pittsburgh, PA; as well as to many others in some smaller West Virginia towns along the Ohio River and it's tributaries.
Comments and an additional link follow brief excerpts from:
"United States Patent 4,564,513 - Production of Carbon Monoxide
Date: January, 1986
Inventor: Dieter Becher, et. al., Germany
Assignee: Bayer AG
Abstract: Carbon monoxide is produced in an improved process in a carbon-filled, water-cooled generator in the configuration of a truncated cone in the longitudinal section, by the gasification of said carbon with a mixed gas of oxygen and carbon dioxide ... .
(A) process for the production of carbon monoxide in a carbon-filled ... generator ... wherein the carbon is in the form of coke.
Background and Summary: This invention relates to a process for the production of carbon monoxide in a water-cooled generator which ... is filled with carbon and by gasification of carbon with a mixture of oxygen and carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide is produced.
The production of carbon monoxide from coal and oxygen has long been known and is practiced on a large industrial scale."
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The foregoing is, in other words, only an improvement on processes that have "long been known" wherein Carbon Monoxide can be produced "on a large industrial scale" through interaction between hot Coal and an Oxygen-containing gas.
And, in Bayer's technology, that Oxygen-containing gas is Carbon Dioxide.
Further, if, for whatever good reason, "coke", as above, is the preferred Carbon source, we can make a little of that out of our abundant Coal, can't we?
That said, we learn, following, what, according to Chicago's Standard Oil of Indiana, we can do with such Carbon Monoxide, once we have made it from CO2 and hot Coal:
"United States Patent 4,559,363 - Reacting Carbon Monoxide and Water
Date: December, 1985
Inventor: Jeffrey Miller, et. al., Indiana and Illinois
Assignee: Standard Oil of Indiana, Chicago
Abstract: A process for reacting carbon monoxide and water in the presence of a cadmium-containing catalyst is disclosed.
Claims: A method for the production of hydrocarbons by reacting carbon monoxide and water ... in the presence of a catalyst composition consisting essentially of a cadmium component and a support material having acidic properties, wherein the cadmium component is in the form of the elemental metal, its oxide or salt or a combination thereof ... .
(And) wherein the support comprises a refractory inorganic oxide (which) comprises alumina, zirconia, titania (or others specified, in) combination thereof with silica or magnesia.
(And) wherein the molecular sieve comprises a crystalline aluminosilicate, crystalline borosilicate, or mixture thereof, in the unexchanged or cation-exchanged form (including) ... zeolite A, zeolite L, zeolite X, zeolite Y, ultrastable zeolite Y, zeolite omega, ZSM-5, ZSM-11, ZSM-12, ZSM-35, ZSM-38 or ZSM-48.
(Note that the "ZSM-5" zeolite mineral is, we believe, the one specified by ExxonMobil for use in their "MTG"(r), Methanol-to-Gasoline, process, wherein the Methanol is posited to be made from Coal.)
This invention relates generally to the reaction between carbon monoxide and water, and more particularly concerns such reaction in the presence of a cadmium-containing catalyst (in a) method for the production of hydrocarbons by reacting carbon monoxide and water.
Object: It is a general object of the present invention to provide a method for the direct production of gasoline boiling range aliphatic compounds from less valuable materials (and, more) particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a single-step method for the direct production of branched aliphatic hydrocarbons which boil in the gasoline range and which method does not require the use of hydrogen from an external source."
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Our thanks go out to Bayer AG and Standard Oil.
In case you missed the point, allow us to summarize:
According to Bayer AG and Standard Oil, as confirmed herein by our own US Government, we can react reclaimed Carbon Dioxide with hot Coal to make Carbon Monoxide; and, we can react that product Carbon Monoxide with Water in a way that results in the "production of ... hydrocarbons ... in the gasoline range".