Energy Citations Database (ECD) - - Document #461270
Since we are, today, via separate dispatch, sending along report of work related to the conversion of Coal into liquid hydrocarbons that was conducted at our USDOE's somewhat remote, relative to the heart of US Coal Country, Sandia National Laboratory, all the way out in New Mexico, we elected herein to reconfirm that Sandia, and our USDOE, have also been at work on technology that would, using environmental energy, convert reclaimed Carbon Dioxide, as well, into liquid hydrocarbons.
And, in line with the "Green Freedom" concept we have previously reported as being under development by our USDOE's western labs, Sandia again posits the use of light, i.e., Solar, energy to drive the process of converting reclaimed Carbon Dioxide into the versatile Methanol, and other valuable products.
Comment follows excerpts from the initial and following links to:
7 Mb View Document or Access Individual Pages; DOI: 10.2172/461270
OSTI ID: 461270; USDOE Contract: AC04-94AL85000
Title: Solar photocatalytic conversion of CO2 to methanol
Date: February, 1997
Authors: G. Ryba, et. al.; Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM
Abstract: This report summarizes the three-year LDRD program directed at developing catalysts based on metalloporphyrins to reduce carbon dioxide. Ultimately it was envisioned that such catalysts could be made part of a solar-driven photoredox cycle by coupling metalloporphyrins with semiconductor systems. Such a system would provide the energy required for CO2 reduction to methanol ... .
Molecular modeling and design capabilities were used to engineer metalloporphyrin catalysts for converting CO2 to CO and higher carbon reduction products like formaldehyde, formate, and methanol.
Gas-diffusion electrochemical cells were developed to carry out these reactions.
A tin-porphyrin/alumina photocatalyst system was partially developed to couple solar energy to this reduction process."
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Unfortunately, like much of what we are able to provide you concerning Carbon Dioxide recycling technologies developed by our USDOE, the language and graphics herein, detailing such esoterica as the "Resonance Raman spectra of nickel" and "Cobalt 5-amino-octaethylporphyrin" catalyst, are far beyond our abilities to either fully understand or clearly explain.
What the report itself does make clear, though, is:
Nearly one and a half decades ago, our US Governmentknew that "solar energy" along with known catalysts, could enable the conversion of "CO2 to ... methanol".
Methanol, valuable liquid fuel it, in and of itself, is, we remind you, can, through known processes, be further converted into Gasoline.
Or, it can, as can the "formaldehyde", be utilized in the synthesis and manufacture of plastics, wherein the Carbon Dioxide consumed in it's original synthesis would be forever, and productively, "sequestered".
The "formic acid" produced herein from Carbon Dioxide, as we have previously documented, itself, aside from being useful in the powering of fuel cells, can, as seen in, for just one example, the full report of:
United Technologies Converts CO2 to Formic Acid | Research & Development | News
"The Electrochemical Conversion of Carbon Dioxide into Methanol: The Formic Acid Reduction Step; 1984; Naval Weapons Research Center, China Lake, CA"; be further converted into more Methanol.
Or, Formic Acid and/or Formate can be utilized to good effect in the conversion and liquefaction of Coal.
We have previously documented that fact, but, following, is yet additional confirmation of it, as seen in:
"United States Patent: 4222849 - Process for Liquefaction of Coal
Date: September, 1980
Inventor: Kunitoshi Shimizu, Japan
Abstract: Liquefaction of coal is realized in a chemical manner without employing high temperature and high pressure, only by such a process, wherein granulated coal is first soaked in aqueous solution of caustic soda and subsequently pulverized after it is taken out and dried, and then, the so obtained coal powder is mixed with an aqueous solution containing sodium hydroxide and organic carboxylic acid by agitation, thereafter the mixture is kept still for sufficient time until the coal becomes ominous of liquefaction, and finally, the mixture is heated at a temperature from 90 to 150C with further addition of water.
The process ... wherein the organic carboxylic acid is lower carboxylic acid ... such as, formic acid."
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Shimizu's Coal liquefaction process deserves far more exposition than we herein give it, since, as the full Disclosure explains, the use of Formic Acid - - as can be synthesized, as in the USDOE Sandia technology, above, via the "solar photocatalytic conversion of CO2" - - in the liquefaction of Coal can enable the use of lower pressure and lower temperature, i.e., lower energy, to accomplish the transmutation.
In any case, as documented herein, our US Government has known, for at least a decade and a half, that, using readily-available environmental energy, Carbon Dioxide can be harvested, and then utilized and consumed in the synthesis of quite useful and valuable products.
Again:
Why is it that all the information about Carbon Dioxide the US Public has been exposed to concerns the Cap and Trade taxation of our vital Coal-use industries; or, their enslavement, through mandated Geologic Sequestration in leaky old oil wells, into the service of Big Oil's secondary scrounging of petroleum dregs?
Carbon Dioxide, as it arises in a 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.
As seen, as above, in our own US Government's report, "Solar Photocatalytic Conversion of CO2 to Methanol", Carbon Dioxide can be recycled into liquid fuels and chemical manufacturing raw materials.