Our headline might, perhaps, be perceived as somewhat misleading. There is no evidence that General Motors and Conoco were directly collaborating; nor is that really our intended implication.
And, we cannot affirm, through separate reference, that the "GM Global Technologies, Inc." company, headquartered in Michigan and listed as one of the assignees of the patent rights herein, is, in fact, a subsidiary of Michigan's General Motors Corporation; as logical as the assumption might be.
However, the invention was made by collaborating "GM" scientists in Michigan, and other contributors in Korea; and, General Motors is the owner now of the Korean auto manufacturer, Daewoo.
Such disclaimers aside, we refer you to a recent dispatch, now posted on the West Virginia Coal Association's web site as:
Conoco Converts CO2 to Methanol and Dimethyl Ether | Research & Development | News; and, wherein is reported details of:
"US Patent 6,664,207 - Catalyst for Converting Carbon Dioxide to Oxygenates; 2003; Assignee: ConocoPhillips Company, Houston; Abstract: A catalyst and process for converting carbon dioxide into oxygenates (specifically identified to be) methanol and dimethyl ether."
In the process of that invention, which converts Carbon Dioxide, reclaimed from whatever source, perhaps as it is emitted in rather astonishing quantities from cement manufacturing kilns, into the versatile Methanol and the substitute Diesel fuel Dimethyl Ether, some elemental Hydrogen is required in the catalyzed reaction sequence that converts CO2 into those two liquid fuels.
The economy of utilizing Hydrogen in such Carbon Dioxide recycling processes shouldn't, from our point of view, be much of an issue. That, especially so, since the alternatives, i.e., Cap & Trade taxation and mandated Geologic Sequestration of CO2 in leaky old oil wells, would entail huge expenses with no potential return - - no return, that is, except for Big Oil, since his secondary petroleum scrounging efforts would be subsidized by consumers of Coal-based electric power, as their bills would necessarily be adjusted to accommodate the expense of supplying the petroleum companies with the Carbon Dioxide to be pumped down those leaky old oil wells.
The cost of generating Hydrogen for use in Carbon Dioxide recycling processes, such as the one defined in US Patent 6,664,207, shouldn't, thus, be a problem; especially since the sales of the resulting Methanol and Dimethyl Ether - - and more especially if such sales reduce the hemorrhage of domestic US national wealth to foreign OPEC petroleum suppliers - - should more than offset that cost.
Moreover, as it happens, there are some apparently-economical and non-polluting ways in which such needed Hydrogen can be produced, as we've previously explained, as in, for one example, our report of:
Solar-Powered Hydrogen Generation | Research & Development | News; "USP 7,726,127 - Solar Power for Thermochemical Production of Hydrogen; 2010; Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Incorporated, CA; Abstract: A solar-powered hydrogen production system.".
And, herein, from an international team of collaborating "GM Global Technologies Corporation" scientists in Michigan, and university researchers in Korea, we have even more confirmation of the fact, that, if we do need Hydrogen to, as in the ConocoPhillips process of USP 6,664,207, recycle Carbon Dioxide, we can produce it, using freely-available environmental energy, by splitting Water, H2O, into Oxygen and Hydrogen.
But, we caution that the inventors cited herein don't really go out of their way to highlight what their invention is really all about. You have to get all the way down to Claim 22 to discover that it entails: "introducing the composite photocatalyst", as is more than thoroughly described in the full Disclosure, "to water, and wherein irradiating the water including the composite photocatalyst with at least visible light is effective to produce hydrogen gas."
That claim will be repeated in it's entirety, in our fuller excerpts from the initial link in this dispatch to:
"United States Patent 7,625,835 - Photocatalyst and Use Thereof
Date: December, 2009
Inventors: Wei Li, et. al, Michigan and Korea
Assignees: GM Global Technologies, Inc., MI, and Pohang University of Science, Korea.
Abstract: A composite photocatalyst includes a semiconducting core and a nanoscale particle disposed on a surface of the semiconducting core, wherein the nanoscale particle is an electron carrier, and wherein the photocatalyst is sensitive to visible light irradiation.
Claims: A composite photocatalyst, comprising: a semiconducting core having a bandgap energy (as specified) and a nanoscale particle disposed on a surface of the semiconducting core, wherein the nanoscale particle is an electron carrier having a different composition than the semiconducting core; wherein absorption by the composite photocatalyst of visible light at a wavelength (as specified) generates photocatalytic activity sufficient to carry out a photocatalytic reaction.
(And) wherein introducing the composite photocatalyst comprises introducing the composite photocatalyst to water, and wherein irradiating the water including the composite photocatalyst with at least visible light is effective to produce hydrogen gas.
(Which would be your "photocatalytic reaction".)
- (And) wherein irradiating the ... liquid medium comprises irradiating the ... liquid ...including the composite photocatalyst with substantially only visible light.
(Sunlight, in other words, would do the job just fine.)
Background: The present disclosure generally relates to photocatalysts and, more particularly, to semiconducting photocatalysts having visible light activity.
Photocatalysts have garnered significant attention not only for their potential use in the production of hydrogen and/or oxygen from water, but also in the treatment of waste materials and purification of air.
Photocatalysts are frequently formed from semiconductors or from organometallic complexes, such as chlorophyll. Of the two, semiconductors are generally preferred owing in part to their chemical stability, low cost of production, ... and the ease with which they can be handled.
Photocatalytic processes that make use of solar energy are highly desirable.
Summary: In a method for the production of hydrogen from water, the water is irradiated with light in the presence of the composite photocatalyst. The water may be substantially pure or may contain a salt, such as carbonate, bicarbonate, iodide or bromide, as in the case of the electrolysis of water. Alternatively, the water may contain a reducing agent ... such as sulfite, sulfide, an alcohol, a carbohydrate, a solid carbon, and the like. The composite photocatalyst may be used in any desired form. For example, it may be suspended or dispersed in the water or disposed on a suitable support within the water.
It should be recognized by those skilled in the art in view of this disclosure that the composite photocatalysts described herein may overcome the deficiencies that plague existing photocatalysts. Specifically, the composite photocatalysts may have improved visible light sensitivity, improved efficiency, and increased stability. Furthermore, significant improvements in the level of anoxic hydrogen production under visible light irradiation can be achieved with the composite photocatalysts of the present disclosure."
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Note that the GM catalyst is implied to have "a low cost of production"; and, though not reflected in our excepts, the specific materials of it's composition seem to us neither too exotic nor likely too expensive.
So, if we decide we would rather, using the process of Conoco's US Patent 6,664,207, recycle the valuable Carbon Dioxide by-product of our vital Coal-use industries, right here in US Coal Country, instead of packing it all off to West Texas to be stuffed down a leaky old oil well, then we can manufacture the Hydrogen that would be needed, right here in US Coal Country, using freely-available environmental energy, via the technology disclosed herein of United States Patent: 7625835.
Moreover, there are other ways in which such Hydrogen could be utilized in the recycling of Carbon Dioxide.
We remind you of one earlier report: More Pre-WWII CO2 Recycling | Research & Development | News; wherein is disclosed: "United States Patent 2,128,262 - Carbon monoxide manufacture; (An) efficient and economical process for the manufacture of carbon monoxide of high purity by the reduction of carbon dioxide"; wherein we learn that CO2 can be converted into Carbon Monoxide by the simple expedient of passing Carbon Dioxide, reclaimed from whatever source, through red-hot Coal.
And, we submit that, if we have Hydrogen, made from Water, as in the Michigan and Korea process of United States Patent: 7625835; and, CO, made from CO2 in the process of Carbon monoxide manufacture; then, those two gases can be simply passed through a Fischer-Tropsch, or related, catalytic reactor, such as is being used currently on a large-scale commercial basis, as we've many times documented, by South Africa Synthetic Oil Limited, SASOL, and made thereby to synthesize a variety of liquid hydrocarbon fuels.
Moreover, in established processes for the direct liquefaction of Coal, such as WVU's "West Virginia Process", as seen, for instance, in: WVU Hydrogenates Coal Tar | Research & Development | News;
"'Hydrogenation of Naphthalene'; Abhijit Bhagavatula; Thesis submitted to the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources at West Virginia University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Chemical Engineering"; it is possible to hydrogenate products, such as the Coal oil Naphthalene, in order to make them serve as Hydrogen donor solvents for such direct liquefaction of Coal.
And, the Hydrogen generated herein, with such "improved efficiency, and" with such "significant improvements in the level of ... production under visible light", via the technology of USP 7,625,835, should serve nicely in the process of United States Patent 6,664,207 and in the WVU process for the Hydrogenation of Naphthalene, and thereby help us to both recycle our effluent Carbon Dioxide and convert our abundant Coal into what seem, to us here at least, to be almost desperately-needed liquid hydrocarbon fuels.