In two previous reports, we've provided you with information concerning the development, by Japan's multinational Chemicals and Petroleum industries services company, Chiyoda Corporation, of technologies wherein Carbon Dioxide, reclaimed from whatever source, can be made to react with Methane, with or without the inclusion of Water, and to thereby form a hydrocarbon synthesis gas suitable for catalytic condensation into a variety of liquid hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals.
As seen in: More Japan CO2 + Methane = Hydrocarbon Syngas | Research & Development; concerning their: United States Patent: 6312660 - Process for Preparing Synthesis Gas; 2001; (A) process for producing a synthesis gas by reacting a carbon-containing organic compound with steam and/or carbon dioxide"; and in: Japan CO2 + Methane = Hydrocarbon Syngas | Research & Development | News; which included details of: "United States Patent: 6340437 - Preparing Synthesis Gas by Autothermal Reforming; 2002"; For a technology which enables a "hydrocarbon synthesis gas" to "be produced by reacting (methane) with steam and/or carbon dioxide".
We also provided additional information in those reports showing the Chiyoda Corporation, perhaps not much known in the US, to be a substantial and long-established business enterprise centered, in part, on providing services to the petroleum and chemicals manufacturing industries.Herein, via the initial link in this dispatch and the following excerpts, we see that Chiyoda Corporation's team of scientists has developed even more, seemingly quite similar, Carbon Dioxide recycling technology, as in:
"US Patent 6,656,978 - Producing Liquid Hydrocarbon Oil from Hydrocarbon Gas and Carbon Dioxide
Date: December, 2003
Inventor: Yoshimi Shiroto, et. al., Japan
Assignee: Chiyoda Corporation
Abstract: A process for the production of a liquid hydrocarbon oil from a gas feed containing a lower hydrocarbon and CO2, wherein the gas feed is mixed with H2O to obtain a mixed gas having specific CO2, H2O and lower hydrocarbon contents. The mixed gas is contacted with a Rh, Ru/MgO catalyst (as specified) to produce a synthesis gas ... . The thus obtained synthesis gas ... is reacted in the presence of a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst to obtain a liquid hydrocarbon oil, while (additional) synthesis gas ... is reacted in the presence of one or more catalysts having methanol synthesizing, dehydrating and CO shift reaction activities to obtain dimethyl ether.
(Note: By utilizing this Japanese process, we can convert Carbon Dioxide into "hydrocarbon oil", "methanol", or, the substitute Diesel fuel, "dimethyl ether".)
Claims: A process for the production of a liquid hydrocarbon oil, comprising the steps of: (a) mixing a gas feed, containing a lower hydrocarbon having 1-4 carbon atoms (a range which would include Methane - JtM)and (a variable, within specified ranges, amount) of CO2 ... with H2O to obtain a mixed gas having contents of the CO2, H2O and lower hydrocarbon (and) wherein said gas feed contains (up to) 40 mole % of CO2.
A process as (above, which further comprises) subjecting said liquid hydrocarbon oil ... to catalytic hydrogenation and/or catalytic hydrocracking to obtain gasoline, kerosene and gas oil.
Background and Description: This invention relates to a process for the production of a liquid hydrocarbon oil or dimethyl ether from a lower hydrocarbon gas containing carbon dioxide.
It is well known to convert a lower hydrocarbon gas (HC gas) to a synthesis gas containing CO (carbon monoxide) and H2 (hydrogen) by reforming reaction thereof with H2O (steam or water) in the presence of CO2 (carbon dioxide).
It is also known to produce a liquid hydrocarbon oil (HC oil) having 5 or more carbon atoms suitable for use as a fuel oil by Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FT synthesis) from the synthesis gas and to produce dimethyl ether from the synthesis gas.
(The) present invention provides a process for the production of dimethyl ether from a lower hydrocarbon gas and carbon dioxide ...;
(Which process comprises) mixing a gas feed, containing a lower hydrocarbon having 1-4 carbon atoms (Methane, "CH4", is just such "a lower hydrocarbon having 1" Carbon atom.) and 30-70 mole % of CO2 based on a total mole of the CO2 and the lower hydrocarbon, with H2O (added) to obtain a mixed gas having contents of the CO2, H2O and lower hydrocarbon (as specified).
A ... known process for obtaining a synthesis gas from ... methane is a CO2 reforming process ... .
In the process of the present invention, ... steam reforming ... and CO2 reforming (of Methane) are combined to yield a synthesis gas having a H2/CO ratio ... suitable for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.
(And, in) the process of the present invention, the above steam reforming and CO2 reforming (can also be) combined (in such a way, so as) to yield a synthesis gas having a H2/CO ratio ... suitable for the production of dimethyl ether.
The production of a synthesis gas may be performed by reacting HC gas (with) CO2 (and) H2O in the presence of a catalyst. As HC gas, a lower hydrocarbon having 1-4 carbon atoms such as methane, ethane, propane, butane or isobutane may be used. The use of a mixed hydrocarbon gas containing a major amount of methane and a minor amount of ethane, propane, butane, isobutane and other lower hydrocarbons is preferred."
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We will note that Chiyoda, from our read of the full Disclosure, seems actually to be addressing the dirty little secret that proponents of "America's Clean Energy Alternative" don't much like to talk about, or to have publicized, which is:
As it comes out of the ground, Natural Gas can often already be contaminated with a quite high percentage of Carbon Dioxide; a percentage so high that it can even interfere with combustion. In those cases, producers of Natural Gas, through fairly straightforward processes, strip CO2 from the gas they produce and then simply vent it to the atmosphere.
And, that would be in addition to any CO2 generated when the thus-cleaned gas is combusted as fuel.
But, the Methane-Carbon Dioxide reforming reaction described herein is still valid, regardless of the sources of those two raw materials.
As specified above, and as confirmed by our own US Government's expert patent examiners, we can make "gasoline, kerosene", "methanol", and/or the substitute Diesel fuel, "dimethyl ether", by starting with, as the only needed initial raw materials, "methane", "H2O", and, that old greenhouse gas devil, Carbon Dioixde.
Further, gratuitous as it might by now be, we must remind you, that, as seen, for just one example, in:
Pittsburgh USDOE Converts CO2 to Methane & Methanol | Research & Development | News; which concerns: "Visible Light Photoreduction of CO2; 2009; Congjun Wang, et. al.; National Energy Technology Laboratory, USDOE, Pittsburgh, PA; Abstract: A series of ... Titanium Dioxide (catalysts) have been synthesized, characterized, and tested for the photocatalytic reduction of CO2 in the presence of H2O (wherein) the primary reaction product is CH4"; that:
We can synthesize the Methane, i.e., "CH4", required for the process herein of USP 6,656,978, to react with Carbon Dioxide, in order to make such things as "gasoline" and "methanol", from Carbon Dioxide itself.
It doesn't hurt, of course, that, although not reflected in our brief excerpts from the Pittsburgh DOE's process, Methanol is a co-product of synthesizing the Methane needed by the process of USP 6,656,978, via the Pittsburgh process, to react with CO2, from CO2.
We can, as for just one instance, by utilizing ExxonMobil's "MTG"(r) process, convert such by-product Methanol into Gasoline.
We haven't said it in a while, but:
Carbon Dioxide, as it arises in only a very small way, relative to natural sources of emission, such as volcanoes, from our immensely productive and profitable uses of Coal, is a valuable raw material resource.
We can, as herein verified by our own United States Government, convert Carbon Dioxide - - through a combination of known processes, with H2O, Water, being the only other basic co-reactant and raw material required - - through the initial synthesis of Methane, into, ultimately, such seemingly-needed things as "liquid hydrocarbon oil" and "gasoline".