Like many of the published petroleum industry technologies we've reported for you, the Japanese scientists we cite herein prefer not to identify, at all, not even once, the source of their raw material: "a gas mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide".
However, some of these scientists' friends and close colleagues have already spilled those beans, as some lengthy comments we'll insert attest. We'll have some additional suggestions of our own, as well, following excerpts from the above link to the United States Patent which tells us how to make "primarily gasoline fuel oil and diesel fuel oil" out of such "a gas mixture":
"United States Patent 6,410,477 - Hydrogenation catalyst of carbon monoxide
Date: June, 2002
Inventors: Yasuo Ohtsuka, et. al., Japan
Assignee: Tohoku University, Sendai
Abstract: Provided is a hydrogenation catalyst of carbon monoxide, which is suited to the manufacture of a hydrogenation product containing target components (e.g., gasoline fuel oil components or diesel fuel oil components) at high selectivity from a gas mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide.
This hydrogenation catalyst of carbon monoxide has a structure in which a transition metal is carried by a (specified) porous material.
(We might as well interject here to remind you that, as in:
Japan Improves Synthetic Fuel Catalysis | Research & Development; which makes report of: "United States Patent 6,534,553 - Hydrogenation of Carbon Monoxide Using Sulfide Catalysts; 2003; Inventors: Muneyoshi Yamada and Naoto Koizumi; Assignee: Tohoku University; Abstract: A method of producing synthetic fuels by hydrogenating carbon monoxide. Firstly, a synthesis gas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, is produced through a ... coal gasification"; and, in:
Japan Reduces Cost of Coal Hydrogasification | Research & Development; which concerns: "United States Patent 4,848,983 - Catalytic Coal Gasification by Utilizing Chlorides; 1989; Inventor: Akira Tomita, et. al; Assignee: Tohoku University; Abstract: A process of catalytic coal gasification ... wherein the gasifying agent (can be) mixtures of steam (and) carbon dioxide";
Tohoku University itself has, indeed, spilled the interesting beans about where we might obtain their generic "mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide" with which they make "gasoline ... or diesel fuel". - JtM)
Claims: A catalyst for obtaining gasoline fuel oil components or diesel oil components by hydrogenation of carbon monoxide, comprising: a transition metal; and a porous material carrying said transition metal,
wherein said porous material consists primarily of silica ... .
(And) wherein when said transition metal is ...selected from the group consisting of cobalt and iron.
A method of manufacturing a hydrogenation product, comprising reacting a gas mixture containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen ... in the presence of (the specified) catalyst (and) wherein said hydrogenation product contains primarily gasoline fuel oil and diesel fuel oil.
Background and Summary: The present invention relates to a hydrogenation catalyst of carbon monoxide and a method of manufacturing a hydrogenation product primarily containing gasoline ... and diesel fuel oil.
Fuel oil manufactured from a gas mixture (synthetic gas) of carbon monoxide and hydrogen does not contain sulfur which forms sulfur oxide and aromatic hydrocarbon (aromatic) which generates soot and is carcinogenic, unlike fuel oil refined from petroleum.
(Note, that: "unlike fuel oil refined from petroleum", "oil manufactured from a gas mixture (synthetic gas) of carbon monoxide and hydrogen" made by a "process of catalytic coal gasification ... wherein the gasifying agent (can be) mixtures of steam (and) carbon dioxide" is not "carcinogenic".)
Hence, this type of fuel oil is attracting attention as low-environmental-load, high-quality fuel replacing petroleum fuel.
A hydrogenation product containing the above fuel oil component is conventionally manufactured by reacting the synthetic gas described above at a predetermined temperature and a predetermined pressure in the presence of a catalyst which is formed by causing silica or alumina to carry cobalt or iron. However, this method is not necessarily satisfactory in the manufacture of target components (e.g., gasoline fuel oil components or diesel fuel oil components) at higher selectivity than other components (e.g., methane).
(Again, some "methane" can be co-produced, along with "gasoline ... and ... diesel", from "carbon monoxide and hydrogen" made by a "process of catalytic coal gasification". And, we remind you, that, as, for just one example, out of now many, seen in:
More Standard Oil 1944 CO2 + CH4 = Hydrocarbons | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 2.347.682 - Hydrocarbon Synthesis; 1944; Assignee: Standard Oil Company of Indiana; Abstract: This invention relates to an improved method and means for effecting the synthesis of hydrocarbons from carbon monoxide and hydrogen (obtained by reacting) methane ... with ... carbon dioxide and steam";
some by-product "methane" might not be that bad a thing to make a little of.)
The component ratio of the gas mixture cannot be unconditionally defined because it depends on the type of target component selected in a hydrogenation product.
Generally, the ratio of hydrogen (H2) to carbon monoxide (CO) is preferably 1:1 to 4:1. For example, when the component to be selected is a diesel fuel oil component, the mixing ratio of hydrogen (H2) to carbon monoxide (CO) in the gas mixture is preferably 2:1.
(The specified) catalyst in the form of a powder is packed into a cylindrical stainless-steel high-pressure reaction tube, and this reaction tube is heated by a heater placed outside the reaction tube (and) hydrogen and carbon monoxide is supplied to manufacture a hydrogenation product.
(The) present invention can provide a method of manufacturing a hydrogenation product, which contains target components (e.g., gasoline fuel oil components or diesel fuel oil components) at high selectivity from a gas mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, and which can be used as fuel of a gasoline or diesel engine by a simple separating operation."
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And, what the heck, if all we need is "a gas mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide" to make "gasoline or diesel", we remind you of a few other ways in which we can obtain such "hydrogen and carbon monoxide".
As seen in:
NASA Hydrogen from Water and Sunlight | Research & Development; wherein is reported: "United States Patent 4,045,315 - Solar Photolysis of Water; 1977; NASA; Abstract: Hydrogen is produced by the solar photolysis of water";
we can use free Sunlight to split free Water into what would likely then be some pretty cheap Hydrogen.
And, as seen in:
1915 CO2 Recycling | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 1,163,922 - Producing Carbon Monoxid from Carbon Dioxid; 1915; Charles Hillhouse, NY; This invention relates to the production of carbon monoxid (CO) gas (by) mixing powdered carbon and carbon dioxid (CO2) gas under sufficiently high temperature to cause a carbon molecule to combine with one of the oxygen elements of the CO2, resulting in 2CO";
we can make the Carbon Monoxide by reacting better-than-free CO2, recovered, perhaps, in rather startling abundance from a Corn Ethanol fermentation and distillation facility, with a little bit of our red-hot Coal.