Herein, we learn that, a shade more than seventy years after Europe's Nobel Committee awarded their Prize in Chemistry to Paul Sabatier for first demonstrating the fact, a team of talented scientists at California's prestigious Stanford University confirmed that Carbon Dioxide could indeed be converted into Methane; and, they developed a, perhaps, more efficient, at least more modern, way of going about it.
Comment follows excerpts from the link to:
"United States Patent 4,404,068 - Solid State Method for Synthesis Reactions
Date: September, 1983
Inventors: Robert Huggins and Turgut Gur, California
Assignee: Stanford University
Abstract: A method for synthesizing reaction products, such as hydrocarbons, from fluid reactants is provided by use of a solid state electrochemical cell. A preferred embodiment may be used to produce methane at a substantially enhanced, controllable rate.
Claims: A method for synthesizing a reaction product comprising the steps of: providing an electrochemical cell having a first electrode, a second electrode, and a solid state electrolyte intercommunicating said first and second electrodes, said electrolyte adapted to permit ions to flow there-across;
(And) contacting a first fluid reactant with said first electrode, ... (and) forming a reaction product at said first electrode in the presence of at least a second fluid reactant, said reaction product derived from said first reactant residue and at least said second reactant.
(And) wherein reactants are in gaseous form.
(And) wherein: said first reactant is CO or CO2 and said second reactant is H2.
(And) wherein: said reaction product is methane.
Background: (There) is an increasing need for new methods of producing fuels and many other chemicals from materials other than petroleum. One long known, alternate approach in the production of fuels is generally referred to as the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reaction. This synthesis reaction utilizes hydrogen-deficient materials, such as coal ... which are gasified with steam and oxygen to produce a gas containing CO and H2. After removal of contaminates, particularly sulphur-containing species, this gas can be catalytically converted to a variety of organic products.
The hydrogenation of coal provided a substantial part of Germany's fuel during World War II.
It is an object of the present invention ... that the inventive method may be used to substantially enhance rates of reactions during catalytic syntheses, for example in the production of fuels, from feed stocks other than petroleum, and that the catalytic synthesis be substantially controllable.
One aspect of this invention is a method for synthesizing a reaction product.
A preferred embodiment of the inventive method is in synthesizing a hydrocarbon from CO or CO2 and H2, for example to synthesize methane.
The rate of methanation may be dramatically increased by practice of the present invention."
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Thus, we can produce Methane from Carbon Dioxide at a "dramatically increased" "rate" by using Stanford's process of USP 4,404,068.
All we need is a little Hydrogen.
There are a number of ways we can get that Hydrogen, as, for just one instance, seen in:
Exxon Methane and Hydrogen from H2S and Carbon Monoxide | Research & Development; which reports: "United States Patent 4,517,171 - Synthesis of H2 and CH4 from H2S and CO; 1985; Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company, NJ; Abstract: Hydrogen and methane are synthesized from a gaseous feed comprising a mixture of H2S and CO";
wherein we learn that Carbon Monoxide, which can be used as well as CO2 in Stanford's USP 4,404,068 process, can be reacted with a common pollutant arising from natural crude petroleum refining processes, Hydrogen Sulfide, and be made thereby to form not only the Hydrogen needed by Stanford's process, but, as well, more of the Methane that is produced by Stanford's CO2-recycling process.
And, should we want to consolidate those two complementary technologies in one facility, and utilize only one, in-common raw material feed, we can make the Carbon Monoxide for either process simply, as seen in:
More Pre-WWII CO2 Recycling | Research & Development; which concerns: "US Patent 2,128,262 - Carbon Monoxide Manufacture; 1938; Assignee: Semet-Solvay Engineering Corporation; Abstract: An object of this invention is to provide an efficient and economical process for the manufacture of carbon monoxide of high purity by the reduction of carbon dioxide (via) passing ... carbon dioxide through (red-hot) coke to produce carbon monoxide";
by passing Carbon Dioxide, reclaimed from whatever abundant source, perhaps a cement kiln dedicated to producing concrete for a bevy of new, environmentally-correct hydroelectric dams, through red-hot Coal.
And, we are, in any case, also compelled to remind you, that:
Once we have the Methane, made herein by Stanford University, via their process of USP 4,404,068, from either Carbon Dioxide, or, Carbon Monoxide that has been made from Carbon Dioxide, along with, just for kicks, the Methane co-produced with the Hydrogen needed by Stanford via the Exxon process of USP 4,517,171, we can use a process like that disclosed, for just one example, in:
Pittsburgh 1941 CO2 + Methane = Hydrocarbon Syngas | Research & Development | News; which reports: "United States Patent 2,266,989 - Manufacture of a Gas from CO2 and Methane; 1941; Assignee: Koppers Company, Pittsburgh, PA; Abstract: The present invention relates to the manufacture of gases suitable for the synthesis of higher hydrocarbons ... by reacting on methane ... with carbon dioxide";
to react that Methane "with carbon dioxide" recovered from another abundant source, perhaps an all-natural volcanic vent, and thereby make a gas "suitable for the synthesis of higher hydrocarbons".