The title of this United States Patent, assigned to Chevron, might at first seem misleading, since it highlights that, more than anything else, Carbon Monoxide is being produced.
However, from deep within the full Disclosure comes this explanation of what they're really making, through their technology for reacting plain old Garbage with Carbon Dioxide, as in:
"Synthesis gas, rich in carbon monoxide, is especially useful for the synthesis of methanol. It is also useful as a feed for a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis for the production of hydrocarbons. Another use is the production of methane which can be directly burned as a fuel gas or the methane can be combined with light hydrocarbons for the production of enriched fuel gas."
So, according to Chevron, as you will see in the following excerpts, we can use Carbon Dioxide to convert a variety of organic wastes into the raw materials from which we can produce Methanol, Methane and, via their specified Fischer-Tropsch process, and others, a variety of liquid hydrocarbon fuels.
Additional comments, and links to other references, follow excerpts from:
"United States Patent 3,850,588 - Production of Synthesis Gas Rich in Carbon Monoxide
Date: November, 1974
Inventor: Robert White, CA
Assignee: Chevron Research Company, San Francisco
Abstract: A carbon-monoxide-rich synthesis gas is produced by feeding a mixture of carbon dioxide and an organic material to a reaction zone maintained at a temperature in the range 1,000 to 3,000 F. Suitable organic materials are compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen in which the oxygen content is at least 10 weight percent. Alkali metal carbonates catalyze the reaction.
Claims: (A) process for the production of a synthesis gas rich in carbon monoxide which comprises reacting in a reaction zone maintained at an elevated temperature a solid organic feed material with carbon dioxide (and) wherein for each pound of the organic feed introduced into the reaction zone an amount of carbon dioxide in the range from 10 to about 300 standard cubic feet is introduced therein.
(And) wherein the organic feed is solid waste selected from the group consisting of municipal waste, industrial waste, and agricultural waste.
A process for producing synthesis gas rich in carbon monoxide, which comprises reacting a solid organic waste-material feed with carbon dioxide ... .
Background: The present invention relates to the production of synthesis gas. More particularly, it relates to the production of synthesis gas rich in carbon monoxide by the reaction of carbonaceous material with carbon dioxide.
The term "synthesis gas" is used herein to mean a gas comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The synthesis gas produced in the process of the present invention is mainly carbon monoxide, that is, the gas produced usually contains more than 50 volume percent carbon monoxide on a dry-gas basis. Often, the carbon monoxide content is 70 volume percent or more on a dry-gas basis.
There are a wide variety of uses for synthesis gas ... . Synthesis gas, rich in carbon monoxide, is especially useful for the synthesis of methanol. It is also useful as a feed for a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis for the production of hydrocarbons. Another use is the production of methane which can be directly burned as a fuel gas or the methane can be combined with light hydrocarbons for the production of enriched fuel gas.
The present invention is based on my finding that carbon dioxide reacts with hydrocarbonaceous material containing at least 10 weight percent of combined oxygen as noted at a surprisingly fast reaction rate to form carbon monoxide.
(In) the present invention carbon dioxide is used as a reactant to convert oxygen-containing material to valuable synthesis gas, particularly carbon-monoxide-rich synthesis gas.
(A) preferred embodiment of the present invention is based on my additional finding that solid municipal wastes containing the requisite amount of oxygen are particularly suitable feedstocks for reaction in the process of the present invention."
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So, we can manufacture a hydrocarbon synthesis gas "especially useful for the synthesis of methanol" by reacting Carbon Dioxide, reclaimed from whatever source, with all sorts of Carbon-containing garbage.
We note that this Chevron invention is similar to other synthesis gas production techniques we have reported for you, wherein Carbon Dioxide is reacted with hot Coal; as, for just one example, in:
More Oklahoma CO2 + Coal = Hydrocarbon Syngas | Research & Development | News; which concerns:
"US Patent 4.040,976 - Process of Treating Carbonaceous Material with Carbon Dioxide; 1977; Assignee: Cities Service Company, OK; Abstract: A mixture of carbon dioxide and a carbonaceous material, such as coal, is rapidly heated in a reactor, giving a gaseous effluent comprising carbon monoxide."
And, just as the Coal must be hot, in the Cities Service technology, for the Carbon Dioxide to react with it and thereby generate Carbon Monoxide, the same holds true in the Chevron process of USP 3,850,588.
Thermal energy, as the full Disclosure reveals, must be supplied to raise the temperature of the reacting mass to optimum levels, and, to maintain it there while the endothermic "C + CO2 = 2CO" reaction proceeds.
Chevron, herein, as do others in related technologies we have previously cited for you, propose that a certain amount of pure Oxygen be supplied to the reaction mix, so that partial oxidation processes, which would produce a blend of Carbon Monoxide and Carbon Dioxide, and thus introduce some level of inefficiency, could provide the needed heat energy.
We suggest, however, that the process could be made better by using natural sources of heat to drive the reactions, as seen to be feasible, for one instance, in:
USDOE Hydrogasifies Coal with Solar Power | Research & Development; which describes: "United States Patent 4,415,339 - Solar Coal Gasification Reactor; November, 1983; Assignee: The USA, as represented by the Department of Energy; Abstract: Coal ... is converted into a ... gas (by) solar energy ... (and) wherein the feed is coal and includes water (and) ... CO2 ... ".
Note that, in the case of USP 4,415,339, "water", H2O, can be added to the reaction mix to provide additional product Hydrogen, and a little more Oxygen to help with the partial oxidation of the Carbon, by Carbon Dioxide, to form Carbon Monoxide. We thus presume that water could be added as well to the process of Chevron's United States Patent 3,850,588, should more Hydrogen, in addition to that in the carbohydrates and water already contained in their subject "municipal waste, industrial waste, and agricultural waste", be needed, so that waste Carbon Dioxide could be converted, through that process, into such a complete "synthesis gas ... especially useful for the synthesis of methanol".
And, we must emphasize that such "methanol" can be further converted, via, for one example, ExxonMobil's "MTG"(r) process, into Gasoline; or, it can be used a raw material in the manufacture of a number of types of quite useful plastics, wherein the Carbon, recycled from both "organic waste-material" and post-combustion Carbon Dioxide, would be permanently, and productively, 'sequestered'.
Finally, note as well the statement that the synthesis gas produced by gasifying organic rubbish with Carbon Dioxide is "especially useful" not just "for the for the synthesis of methanol", but, as well, for "the production of methane".
And, such Methane, as produced herein from Synthesis Gas generated by Chevron's process of United States Patent 3,850,588, from Carbon-recycling "organic waste material" and post-combustion Carbon Dioxide, can then, as, for just one example, seen in:
Standard Oil 1950 CO2 + CH4 + H2O = Syngas | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 2,522, 468 - Production of Synthesis Gas; 1950; Assignee: Standard Oil Development Company;
Abstract: (The) production of a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen suitably proportioned for use as a feed-gas in the synthesis of hydrocarbons ..., including those boiling in the gasoline ... range (from) a mixture of methane, steam and carbon dioxide";
be further reacted with even more Carbon Dioxide, recovered from whatever convenient source, with both gases then, ultimately, being converted into "gasoline".