Energy Citations Database (ECD) - - Document #6974388
In light of both some of our previous submissions concerning the potentials for harnessing environmental energy to recycle atmospheric Carbon Dioxide, and some similar reports, from closer to home, to follow, we see herein, again, that Carbon Dioxide can be reclaimed and converted, using solar energy, into "formate".
We've addressed the unsung virtues of such CO2-derived "formate" previously, including the potentials for it's use in fuel cells.
However, we have also previously documented that formate can have some other, perhaps more intriguing, potentials, as well. And, via another link and an attached file, we emphasize what those potentials are, following excerpts from the initial link in this dispatch to:
"Effective photoreduction of CO2 ... to formate using visible light
Journal of the American Chemical Society; December, 1987
D. Mandler and i. Willner; Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
Abstract: Photoreduction of CO2 and its aqueous forms to organic products is a challenging subject as a means of mimicking photosynthesis and solar energy conversion and storage. Photoreduction of CO2 to formate has been reported with use of homogeneous catalysts, semiconductor powders or electrodes, and the enzyme formate dehydrogenase.
Electrocatalyzed reductions of CO2 have been extensively studied ... . (One specified study) examined the reduction of HCO3 (i,e., as in a water solution of CO2; or, of a CO2-derived light metal carbonate. - JtM) to formate by hydrogen and the electroreduction of HCO3 in the presence of various supported palladium catalysts, in which effective formate production has been accomplished at room temperature."
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The Israeli scientists further explain improvements they made to the process of "effective formate production" from Carbon Dioxide "at room temperature" by utilizing light-stimulated catalysts.
In sum: Using light energy, through a form of what we might term artificial photosynthesis, we can convert reclaimed Carbon Dioxide into "formate".
And, via the following link and the attached file, with excerpts, in confirmation of other sources we have earlier cited for you, the University of Kentucky tells us what we can do with such CO2-derived Formate:
We can use it to liquefy and hydrogenate Coal.
Summary comment follows excerpts from the link to, and attached file of:
http://www.anl.gov/PCS/acsfuel/preprint%20archive/Files/41_2_NEW%20ORLEANS_03-96_0695.pdf
"Coal Solubilization by Non-Catalytic Transfer Hydrogenation with Formate
Soon Chuan Lim and Edwin N. Givens
University of Kentucky, Center for Applied Energy Research
Abstract: Non-Catalytic transfer hydrogenation using formate as the hydrogenating agent significantly
reduces the severity necessary for solubilizing coal.
CO-promoted hydrothermal treatment of low-rank coals has been found by several groups to be quite effective for converting these coals to soluble products. (Exxon is cited specifically.)
Summary: Reacting (subject) coal with CO and H2O (which is the Formate solution in Water. - JtM) ... in the presence and absence of base, produced materials having reduced oxygen contents. Oxygen removals in excess of 75% were obtained regardless of whether base was present. Addition of base gave a material which was highly soluble in both pyridine (95%) and THF (78%), whereas the solubility of the material produced in the absence of base was less.
In both cases, the significant removal of oxygen can have a large economic impact on processing costs for low rank coals."
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In sum: Treating Coal with Formate - which can be synthesized, as confirmed above by Israel, from Carbon Dioxide - "as the hydrogenating agent" in a Coal conversion process, "can have a large (and beneficial) economic impact on (the) costs" of hydrogenating and liquefying Coal.
Once again: Carbon Dioxide, as arises in a very small way, relative to natural sources of emission, such as volcanoes, from our varied and productive uses of Coal, is a valuable raw material resource.
We can use Carbon Dioxide, as outlined herein, to synthesize a compound that makes it easier and less expensive to convert Coal into liquid hydrocarbons.
Do we really want, through Cap & Trade penalties, to tax our vital Coal industries, and their customers, into impoverishment; or, to, through Geologic Sequestration mandates, economically enslave them into the service of the oil industry's scrounging of residual oil in depleted leaky natural petroleum reservoirs, because they co-produce a relatively little bit of it for us?