As in:
NASA Hydrogen from Water and Sunlight | Research & Development, concerning: "USP 4,045,315 - Solar Photolysis of Water; 1977; NASA; Abstract: Hydrogen is produced by the solar photolysis of water";
we see the need to occasionally document that, even though free, elemental Hydrogen might be needed by some of the Coal liquefaction and Carbon Dioxide recycling technologies we report, such as:
Texaco 1951 Coal Hydrogenation | Research & Development; concerning: "USP 2,572,061 - Process for the Hydrogenation of Coal; 1951; Texaco; Abstract: This invention relates to a process for the ... production of oil from coal by reaction of powdered coal with hydrogen"; and:
Stanford University Converts CO2 to Methane | Research & Development; about: "USP 4,404,068 - Solid State Method for Synthesis Reactions; 1983; Stanford University; Abstract: A method for synthesizing (especially) methane ... wherein: (the) first reactant is ... CO2 and said second reactant is H2;
getting that elemental Hydrogen for those processes shouldn't be seen as that big of a deal.
There are economical ways to produce it, as our oil industry knows full well, since they use a lot of it in their various "hydro-treating" and "hydro-refining" processes to upgrade heavy crude natural petroleum.
That'll go double when Big Oil really starts to tackle remote and difficult-to-handle resources, like Canada's Athabasca Tar Sands, in their turning of highly-publicized cartwheels to avoid utilizing our most obvious and most abundant Carbon resources for the manufacture of hydrocarbons: Coal and Carbon Dioxide.
In any case, herein, from our oft-cited Gas Research Institute, is further confirmation of the fact that, if we need Hydrogen to facilitate the hydrogenation and conversion of Coal and/or Carbon Dioxide, we can get it by using freely-available environmental energy to extract it from plain old H2O.
Comment follows excerpts from the initial link in this dispatch to:
"United States Patent 4,793,910 - Photoelectrochemical Cell for Unassisted Photocatalysis
Date: 1988
Inventor: Eugene Smotkin, et. al., Texas
Assignee: Gas Research Institute, Chicago
Abstract: A multielectrode photoelectrochemical cell ... which ... contains two bipolar electrode panels for photoelectrochemical reactions such as water photolysis to produce H2 (and) O2 ... .
Claims: A multielectrode photoelectrochemical unit for unassisted photoelectrical-induction of a chemical reaction ... (which has) means for collecting a gaseous pnotodecomposition product (and, wherein the catalysts) comprise platinum, ruthenium dioxide or cobalt sulfide.
(The "cobalt sulfide" should be fairly economical to obtain.)
(A) multielectrode photoelectrochemical unit ... wherein the photoelectrically-induced chemical reaction is the decomposition of water to O2 and H2.
Background: The present invention relates to photolytically-induced decompositions such as water photoelectrolysis, particularly with a multielectrode semiconductor photoelectrochemical cell capable of unassisted photolytic water splitting to form H2 and O2 and methods of making and using same.
Photolytically induced decompositions, particularly the photolysis of water into H2 and O2 using solar radiation, have received extensive attention and various photoelectrochemical devices and methods for this purpose have been developed. However, in many cases, an expenditure of electrical or chemical energy in addition to incident radiant (e.g., solar) energy is required.
(Smotkin goes on to document at some length that Solar-based Water splitting can and has been successfully and practically done, but, that prior Solar-based Hydrogen production art has required the input of some electrical energy in addition to the Solar radiation. We say: Who cares? Slap a little hydro-electric generator on an existing river navigation locks and dam, and get down to business.)
A photoelectrochemical device which is of relatively simple construction, allowing ready collection of H2 and/or O2 and not requiring any external (energy supply) bias has not, prior to the invention described herein, been developed for photolytically-induced decompositions such as the photolysis of water into H2 and O2 using light from, for example, solar radiation.
The present invention involves a multielectrode photoelectrochemical unit for unassisted photoelectrically-induced reactions. The photoelectrically-induced reaction of most general interest is the decomposition of water to hydrogen and oxygen, however many other photodriven reactions [e.g. that of brine to produce hydrogen, chlorine, and alkali] can be carried out."
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We end our excerpts right there, so that we can emphasize a point that we will, in a dispatch soon to follow, further concerning the art and science of recycling Carbon Dioxide via the indirect conversion of it, through Carbon Monoxide, into plastics manufacturing raw materials, again make reference to:
That point is: If we apply the process herein, of US Patent 4,793,910, to salt water, "brine", we can, in addition to Hydrogen and Oxygen, make "chlorine".
Keep that in mind. We assure you that it is of some importance relative to the profitable and productive recycling of Carbon Dioxide; and, that would be in addition to the fact that the primary product of our subject USP 4,793,910, Hydrogen, can serve not only, as in, for just one instance, our above-cited USP 2,572,061, to hydrogenate Coal-derived liquids in the "production of oil", but, as well, as in: USP 4,404,068, to convert Carbon Dioxide into Methane.