United States Patent Application: 0110105630
Last October, we sent you information confirming that the United States Government, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy, was seeking a United States Patent on technology that would enable the conversion of Carbon Dioxide into liquid hydrocarbon fuels.
That information is available via: US Navy Seeks CO2 Recycling Patent | Research & Development; wherein is disclosed details of: "US Patent Application 2008/0051478A1 - Synthesis of Hydrocarbons via Catalytic Reduction of CO2; Publication Date: February, 2008; Assignee: The Government of the US, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy; Abstract: A method of: introducing hydrogen and a feed gas containing at least 50 volume % carbon dioxide into a reactor containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst ... to produce hydrocarbons in the reactor".
Herein, via the initial link, with the following excerpts, in this dispatch; and, via additional links following those excerpts, we see that our US Navy's scientists have made specific improvements on the apparatus needed to conduct the Carbon Dioxide recycling process described in Application 2008/0051478A1:
"US Patent Application 20110105630 - Catalytic Support for Use in Carbon Dioxide Hydrogenation
Date: May, 2011
Inventors: Robert Dorner, et. al., IL, VA and MD
Assignee: The Government of the US, as Represented by the Secretary of the Navy
Abstract: A catalyst support which may be used to support various catalysts for use in reactions for hydrogenation of carbon dioxide including a catalyst support material and an active material capable of catalyzing a reverse water-gas shift (RWGS) reaction associated with the catalyst support material. A catalyst for hydrogenation of carbon dioxide may be supported on the catalyst support.
A process for hydrogenation of carbon dioxide and for making syngas ... .
Claims: A catalyst support suitable for use in supporting a catalyst for hydrogenating carbon dioxide, the catalyst support comprising a catalyst support material and an active material capable of catalyzing a reverse water-gas shift reaction associated with the catalyst support material.
A method for hydrogenation of carbon dioxides comprising the step of reacting hydrogen and carbon dioxide in the presence of a catalyst comprising a catalyst support material, an active material capable of catalyzing a reverse water-gas shift reaction associated with the catalyst support material and a catalyst material suitable for catalysis of a hydrogenation reaction located on the coated catalyst support material.
Background and Summary: The present invention relates to the field of catalysts for hydrogenation of carbon dioxide. In particular, the present invention relates to supported catalysts for hydrogenation of carbon dioxide wherein the catalyst support is coated with a material capable of catalyzing a reverse water-gas shift reaction.
In (one) aspect, the present invention relates to a method for making a catalyst for use in hydrogenation of carbon dioxide.
The invention also relates to a process for hydrogenation of carbon dioxide, as well as an integrated process for making syngas comprising a hydrocarbon, esp. methane, reforming step and a RWGS step which employs the catalyst composition of the present invention.
The invention further relates to the use of the syngas mixture obtained with the process according to the invention as feed material for a process of making a chemical product; such as, for example, methanol production, olefin and alkane synthesis (e.g. via Fischer-Tropsch reaction) ... ."
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And, we assure you: Some "olefin"s and "alkane"s produced by a "Fischer-Tropsch reaction" would be suitable for use in Gasoline blending stock.
But, of course, if we just make the "methanol" out of, as herein, CO2, we can, via ExxonMobil's MTG(r) technology, convert that Methanol, as well, into Gasoline.
Our US Government must be pretty enthused about the technology disclosed in United States Patent Application 20110105630, since they've taken their CO2-recycling technology "global", as seen, with further comment appended, in the link to, and brief excerpts from:
US2010054604 CATALYTIC SUPPORT FOR USE IN CARBON DIOXIDE HYDROGENATION REACTIONS
Publication Number: WO/2011/056715; International Application Number: PCT/US2010/054604
International Filing Date: October 29, 2010
Applicant: The Government of the United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Navy
Inventors: Robert Dorner, et. al.
Abstract: A catalyst support which may be used to support various catalysts for use in reactions for hydrogenation of carbon dioxide ... . A process for hydrogenation of carbon dioxide and for making syngas comprising a hydrocarbon, esp. methane, reforming step and a RWGS step which employs the catalyst composition of the present invention and products thereof."
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And, we assure you: The "products thereof" do, ultimately, include, once the "syngas" is processed, via the specified "Fischer-Tropsch reaction", the full range of those liquid hydrocarbon fuels we have all come to know and love.
The US Navy's CO2-recycling processes might be a little complicated since they do seem to involve a Methane reforming, or transition, step, perhaps similar to the "tri-reforming" described for one example in:
Standard Oil 1952 CO2 + CH4 + H2O = Syngas | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 2,593,584 - Reforming Hydrocarbon Gases; 1952; Assignee: Standard Oil Development Company;
Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved process for producing gas mixtures containing CO and H2 from hydrocarbon gases by a reforming reaction with CO2 or (with) steam and CO2 ... particularly
when used for the production of gas mixtures suitable as feed gases for the catalytic synthesis of normally liquid hydrocarbons (and, such) gas mixtures containing H2 and CO in (appropriate) proportions may be produced from ... methane ... by a conversion with steam and CO2";
or, to the "bi-reforming" explained, for one instance, in:
WVU CO2 + CH4 = Hydrocarbon Syngas | Research & Development | News; concerning: "New Catalysts for Syngas Production from Carbon Dioxide and Methane; Mahesh V. Iyer;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."
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Moreover, the "reverse water-gas shift (RWGS) reaction", as specified, might be unfamiliar to many of our readers.
For a cogent explanation of it, we refer you to:Reverse Water-Gas Shift Reaction - Marspedia; wherein we can learn that:
"The Reverse Water-Gas Shift Reaction (RWGS reaction) was discovered in the 19th century as a method of producing water from carbon dioxide and hydrogen, with carbon monoxide as a side product. (It) has been proposed as a complement to the Sabatier/water electrolysis (SE) process to produce methane and oxygen from hydrogen and carbon dioxide ... . Alternatively, it can be used with water electrolysis to generate carbon monoxide and oxygen. The oxygen is used for breathing or as oxidizer, while the carbon monoxide can be used as a ... feedstock to generate higher hydrocarbons (Fischer-Tropsch reaction) ."
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Finally, although, again, it isn't yet entirely clear to us, we believe that the Methane, which is apparently also needed by the process in which the Catalyst Support of US Patent Application 20110105630 is to be used, for the recycling of Carbon Dioxide, is itself made from Carbon Dioxide as one integral step within the US Navy's complete process.
We're forced to leave the parsing of that fact to the fully-functional and better-educated among our readers.
But, it doesn't, in the long run, really much matter, since, as seen, for just a few instances out of many now available, in:
Pennsylvania Coal to Methane | Research & Development; concerning: "USP 3,779,725 - Coal Gasification; 1973; Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., Allentown, PA; Abstract: A method for producing a synthetic pipeline gas by reacting a carbonaceous fuel in a gasifier to form a ... high methane content gas"; and, in:
Chicago Recycles CO2 to Methane | Research & Development; detailing: "USP 4,609,440 - Electrochemical Synthesis of Methane; 1986; Assignee: Gas Research Institute, Chicago, IL: Abstract: A method is described for electrochemically reducing carbon dioxide to form methane";
we can make Methane - - which might, perhaps, be required, by the US Navy's process of United States Patent Application 20110105630, to convert Carbon Dioxide into a synthesis gas from which we can condense such valuable products as "methanol" and Gasoline blending stock - - out of Carbon Dioxide itself; or, we can manufacture the Methane via a process of steam-gasification, as in USP 3,779,725, applied to some of our abundant Coal.