Energy Citations Database (ECD) - - Document #6200097
The Carbon Dioxide recycling technology, briefly summarized by Japanese scientists herein, is, we think, closely related to others we have already reported, such as the USDOE's "Syntrolysis" process, as described, for just one instance, in: More USDOE CO2 "Syntrolysis" | Research & Development | News; wherein it is explained, that: "Syntrolysis (is) a process developed by the Idaho National Laboratory that (consumes) carbon dioxide while creating synthesis gas ... a combination of hydrogen and carbon monoxide used to produce synthetic fuels."
Further, it also proposes the use of Solar energy to effect the breakdown of Carbon Dioxide and Water into such a blend of Hydrogen and Carbon Monoxide hydrocarbon synthesis gas, and, in that, it echoes other of our reports, such as: Penn State Solar CO2 + H2O = Methane | Research & Development | News; which concerns the "High-Rate Solar Photocatalytic Conversion of CO2 and Water Vapor to Hydrocarbon Fuels".
Summary comment follows excerpts from the initial link in this dispatch to:
"Photocatalytic decomposition of water and photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide over ZrO2 catalyst
Journal of Physical Chemistry (US); January, 1993
Authors: K. Sayama and H. Arakawa; National Chemical Laboratory for Industry, Japan
Abstract: It was found for the first time that the photocatalytic decomposition of pure water proceeded over ZrO2 powder without any loaded metals under UV irradiation. The rate of H2 and O2 evolution increased upon addition of Na2CO3 and NaHCO3. Moreover, the evolution of CO (the ... reduction product of CO2) was observed from NaHCO3 solutions. The special characteristics of ZrO2 semiconductor are believed to be associated with its highly negative flat-band potential and wide bandgap."
---------------
Note that this catalytic process, which uses light energy to generate Hydrogen and Carbon Monoxide, along with Oxygen, is to be applied to water solutions of Sodium Carbonate (Na2CO3) and Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO3) - which is exactly what we would get if we were to scrub Carbon Dioxide from a Coal power plant exhaust stream, as in some current proposals, with a water solution of Sodium Hydroxide, i.e., NaOH, or, "lye"; which is pretty cheap and easy to make; and, which, if we understand the reactions correctly, would be regenerated when the CO2 was extracted from it via the electrolytic generation of Carbon Monoxide, along with, from the Water, Hydrogen.
In any case, once we have such a blend of Hydrogen and Carbon Monoxide, i.e., "synthesis gas", as herein generated, using freely-available light energy, from Water solutions of Carbon Dioxide, and CO2-capturing minerals, we can, via a number of well-known and well-understood technologies, such as the venerable Fischer-Tropsch process, catalytically condense and convert that "syngas" into a variety of conventional and needed liquid hydrocarbon fuels.
Unless, of course, we would rather, as some propose, spend a lot of money collecting our effluent CO2 and then shipping it all the way to West Texas; where, in the course of being "sequestered" in a leaky old oil well, it would also, through enhanced secondary petroleum recovery, result in enhanced profits for the petroleum industry owners of those leaky old oil wells.
Or, unless we would prefer, through Cap & Trade taxation, to extort more money for the government from our vital Coal-use industries and, thus, from the consumers of Coal-based electrical power.
Such Carbon Dioxide recycling might provide a little needed relief from our OPEC "problem", as well; and, help to make it unnecessary, and unwarranted, to risk any more Gulf Coast oil disasters, while at the same time reducing whatever "greenhouse" gas problem might, or might not, exist.
Anyone have the numbers of any outspoken, though reasoned, environmentalists?
We might have the basis herein for an unlikely, though mutually beneficial, alliance.