We've earlier documented that Carbon Monoxide can be catalytically condensed, via reactions with Water, H2O, and thus be chemically transformed into liquid hydrocarbons.
A few examples of that reportage would include:
Standard Oil Carbon Monoxide + Water = Gasoline | Research & Development; wherein is described: "United States Patent 4,559,363 - Process for Reacting Carbon Monoxide and Water; 1985; Claims: A method for the production of hydrocarbons by reacting carbon monoxide and water"; and:
Pittsburgh 1951 Carbon Monoxide + Water = Hydrocarbons | Research & Development; which discloses: "United States Patent 2,579,663 - Process of Synthesizing Hydrocarbons; 1951; A ... process for synthesizing hydrocarbons; more particularly the invention relates to a process for synthesizing normally liquid hydrocarbons from carbon monoxide and steam".
If you keep in mind that we can easily make any needed Carbon Monoxide, via a process of the sort disclosed in:
USDOE Recycles CO2 to Methanol with Solar Power | Research & Development; in which we discuss: "United States Patent 6,066,187 - Solar Reduction of CO2; 2000; The red shift of the absorption spectrum of CO2 with increasing temperature permits the use of sunlight to photolyze CO2 to CO";
by using solar, and/or any, really, environmentally-derived energy to "split" Carbon Dioxide, reclaimed from whatever convenient source, into it's constituents, Oxygen and Carbon Monoxide, then it should be growing more apparent that the Carbon Dioxide by-product of our essential Coal-use industries is a raw material resource of potentially great value.
Herein, we wanted to begin documenting that there are some other, perhaps more efficient, ways of hydrogenating Carbon Monoxide, as we can, as in the above process of USP 6,066,187, derive from reclaimed Carbon Dioxide through the application of freely-available environmental energy.
Carbon Monoxide can, as the petroleum industry knows full well, be reacted directly with elemental Hydrogen, and be made, through those more efficient reactions, to form a full range of hydrocarbons.
Comment follows excerpts from the initial link in this dispatch to:
"United States Patent 6,727,289 - Boron Promoted Catalysts and Fischer-Tropsch Processes
Date: April, 2004
Inventors: Olga Ionkina, et. al., OK, PA and DE
Assignee: ConocoPhillips Company, TX
Abstract: A process is disclosed for producing hydrocarbons. The process involves contacting a feed stream comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide with a catalyst in a reaction zone maintained at conversion-promoting conditions effective to produce an effluent stream comprising hydrocarbons. In accordance with this invention, the catalyst used in the process includes at least a Fischer-Tropsch metal and boron. The Fischer-Tropsch metal preferably includes cobalt and optionally ruthenium or platinum.
Claims: A process for producing hydrocarbons, comprising contacting a feed stream comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide with a catalyst in a reaction zone maintained at conversion-promoting conditions effective to produce an effluent stream comprising hydrocarbons; said catalyst comprising a Fischer-Tropsch metal and a promoter comprising boron ... .
(And) wherein the Fischer-Tropsch metal comprises cobalt.
(Please remember that, all as we have previously and thoroughly documented, the "Fischer-Tropsch" process was developed in Europe early in the last century, originally, to produce liquid hydrocarbons from a synthesis gas made from Coal. Germany used the Fischer-Tropsch and related Bergius technologies at multiple European factories, during WWII, to supply her military with liquid fuels based on Coal. - JtM)
A process for producing hydrocarbons, comprising contacting a feed stream comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide with a (described and specified) catalyst ... .
Background and Field: The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of hydrocarbons from synthesis gas, (i.e., a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen), typically labeled the Fischer-Tropsch process.
(The) preparation of hydrocarbons from synthesis gas is well known in the art and is usually referred to as Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, the Fischer-Tropsch process, or Fischer-Tropsch reaction(s).
The Fischer-Tropsch reaction involves the catalytic hydrogenation of carbon monoxide to produce a variety of products ranging from methane to higher aliphatic alcohols. The process has been considered for the conversion of carbonaceous feedstock, e.g., coal ... , to higher value liquid fuel or petrochemicals.
(The) work by Fischer and Tropsch dealing with higher hydrocarbon synthesis was described in the 1920's. The first major commercial use of the Fischer-Tropsch process was in Germany during the 1930's. More than 10,000 B/D (barrels per day) of products were manufactured ... .
(Note:10,000 barrels, of oil, per day, from Coal, in the 1930's.)
Summary: This invention provides a process and catalyst for producing hydrocarbons, and a method for preparing the catalyst. The process comprises contacting a feed stream comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide with a catalyst in a reaction zone maintained at conversion-promoting conditions effective to produce an effluent stream comprising hydrocarbons.
In accordance with this invention, the catalyst used in the process comprises boron and a Fischer-Tropsch metal. The Fischer-Tropsch metal may include cobalt.
This invention also includes a method for the preparation of a supported Fischer-Tropsch catalyst comprising supporting boron and cobalt ... .
This invention also provides a process for producing hydrocarbons, comprising contacting a feed stream comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide with a supported catalyst in a reaction zone maintained at conversion-promoting conditions effective to produce an effluent stream comprising hydrocarbons."
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We'll also note that we can make the needed Carbon Monoxide, as we have several times documented, by the almost self-evident process of blowing Carbon Dioxide through red-hot Coal.
However, since environmental energy can be harnessed, as in the above-referenced process of USP 6,066,187, to make Carbon Monoxide directly from Carbon Dioxide, perhaps it would be preferable to conserve our Coal for the generation of power, and for the direct manufacture of liquid hydrocarbons.
In any case, elemental Hydrogen is required herein by ConocoPhillips, to hydrogenate Carbon Monoxide, and, we could, perhaps, as in:
Morgantown, WV, USDOE Hydrogen from Coal | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 4,976,940 - Method for Producing H2; 1990; Inventor: Leland Paulson, Morgantown, WV; Assignee: The USA; A method of producing hydrogen by an endothermic steam-carbon reaction";
obtain the needed Hydrogen as surplus from a process that manufactures hydrocarbons from Coal via Steam gasification.
Or, as in:
Florida Hydrogen and Sulfur from H2S | Research & Development; which reports: "United States Patent 6,572,829 - Photocatalytic Process for Decomposing Hydrogen Sulfide; 2003; Assignee: University of Central Florida; System for separating hydrogen and sulfur from hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas produced from oil and gas waste streams";
we could get the Hydrogen by decomposing noxious Hydrogen Sulfide obtained from sour natural gas wells.
Or, as in:
Solar-Powered Hydrogen Generation | Research & Development | News; concerning: "United States Patent 7,726,127 - Solar Power for Thermochemical Production of Hydrogen; 2010; Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne; A solar-powered hydrogen production system";
we could simply use environmental energy, in this case sunlight, to generate any needed Hydrogen from plain old Water, H2O,