Sunlight can be used to convert Carbon Dioxide into substitute natural gas Methane.
Our apologies to you for the rather uninformative holiday greeting we used in our headline. And, our apologies to the honorable Yugi Zenitani, of Japan's Panasonic Corporation, the lead named inventor of the United States Patent we bring to you herein, disclosing yet more technology developed by Panasonic's team of accomplished scientists, wherein simple sunlight can be used to power the conversion of Carbon Dioxide, as recovered from whatever source, into a number of useful substances, including, again, frack-free substitute natural gas Methane.
We're fairly certain we earlier made report of the Panasonic artificial photosynthesis technology, wherein CO2 is consumed and utilized in the synthesis of valuable hydrocarbons, disclosed by our subject, when, or shortly after, it was some time ago published as a United States Patent Application.
But, the United States Government, as embodied in the US Patent and Trademark Office, popped the cork on this particular bottle of Coal Country champagne first thing this morning, and before everyone left the office to pop their own corks, we wanted to rush this one to you while it still had it's fizz. So, we didn't take as much time scouring the West Virginia Coal Association R&D archives for that past report as perhaps we otherwise would have, and can't at this time give you a link to it.
In any case, we remind you that Japan's estimable Panasonic Corporation has been devoting considerable effort over recent years to the development of what we term "artificial photosynthesis" technologies, wherein Solar light and thermal energy is harnessed to power the conversion of Carbon Dioxide, in concert with Hydrogen as it's extracted from Water, H2O, into a variety of hydrocarbon compounds.
Most recently, for instance, we made report of:
West Virginia Coal Association | Panasonic Solar CO2 to Methane | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 8,597,488 - Method for Reducing Carbon Dioxide; Date: December 3, 2013; Inventors: Masahiro Deguchi, et. al., Japan; Assignee: Panasonic Corporation, Osaka; Abstract: The method for reducing carbon dioxide (with) an electrochemical cell. ... (The) method and the device of the present invention achieve reduction of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide, formic acid, methane, etc. and provide these substances with less energy and at lower cost. The present embodiment can also be applied to more environmentally-friendly methods and devices. (It) can be applied to the use of a solar cell as an external power supply, and to a catalyst for solar energy reduction by combination with a photocatalyst. The method ... wherein ... at least one compound selected from the group consisting of methane, ethylene, ethane and formic acid is produced. The (specified) nitrides used as catalysts in reducing CO2 allows CO2 to be reduced with an external energy from DC power supply at ordinary temperature. Moreover, the method for reducing CO2 of the present disclosure can be applied to methods using a solar cell as an external power supply. The catalysts for reducing CO2 can be applied, by combination with a photocatalyst, to catalysts that can be used with solar energy";
wherein Panasonic disclosed, and our United States government confirmed, that "catalysts" and "photocatalysts" had been identified which enabled the use of "solar energy" to convert, to "reduce", Carbon Dioxide, in combination with H2O, into stuff like "methane" and "ethylene" "at lower cost".
And, herein, we see that, first thing on New Year's Eve, our United States Government confirmed the validity of yet more Panasonic Corporation technology for such use of "solar energy" to convert Carbon Dioxide, as arises in a small way relative to some all-natural and un-taxable sources of it's emission such as the Earth's inexorable processes of planetary volcanism, from our essential use of Coal in the generation of truly abundant and truly affordable electric power, into various hydrocarbons.
As excerpted, with comment appended, from the initial link in this dispatch to:
"United States Patent 8,617,375 - Method For Reducing Carbon Dioxide
Method for reducing carbon dioxide - Panasonic Corporation
Date: December 31, 2013
Inventors: Yugi Zenitani, et. al., Japan
Assignee: Panasonic Corporation, Osaka
Abstract: The method for reducing carbon dioxide of the present invention includes a step (a) and a step (b) as follows. A step (a) of preparing an electrochemical cell. The electrochemical cell comprises a working electrode, a counter electrode and a vessel. The vessel stores an electrolytic solution. The working electrode contains boron carbide. The electrolytic solution contains carbon dioxide. The working electrode and the counter electrode are in contact with the electrolytic solution. A step (b) of applying a negative voltage and a positive voltage to the working electrode and the counter electrode, respectively, to reduce the carbon dioxide.
Claims: A method for reducing carbon dioxide, comprising: a step (a) of preparing an electrochemical cell, wherein the electrochemical cell comprises a working electrode, a counter electrode and a vessel, the vessel stores an electrolytic solution, the working electrode contains boron carbide, the electrolytic solution contains carbon dioxide, the working electrode is in contact with the electrolytic solution, and the counter electrode is in contact with the electrolytic solution; a step (b) of applying a voltage between the working electrode and the counter electrode with an external power supply; and a step (c) of reducing the carbon dioxide at the working electrode with the applied voltage and using the boron carbide as a catalyst, wherein the electrochemical cell further comprises a tube, one end of the tube is disposed in the electrolytic solution, and in the step (c), the carbon dioxide is supplied to the electrolytic solution through the tube.
(We'll note, in passing, that, to us, the primary difference between this and other Panasonic Corporation technologies for the reduction of Carbon Dioxide and the concurrent synthesis of products like Methane seems to lie in type of catalyst specified. A number of compounds will, apparently, work.)
A method for reducing carbon dioxide, comprising: a step (a) of preparing an electrochemical cell, wherein the electrochemical cell comprises a working electrode, a counter electrode and a vessel, the vessel stores an electrolytic solution, the working electrode contains boron carbide, the electrolytic solution contains carbon dioxide, the working electrode is in contact with the electrolytic solution, and the counter electrode is in contact with the electrolytic solution; a step (b) of applying a voltage between the working electrode and the counter electrode with an external power supply; and a step (c) of reducing the carbon dioxide at the working electrode with the applied voltage and using the boron carbide as a catalyst, wherein: the vessel comprises a solid electrolyte membrane, the solid electrolyte membrane is interposed between the working electrode and the counter electrode, and a negative voltage is applied to the working electrode and a positive voltage is applied to the counter electrode.
The method ... wherein: the voltage is equal to or greater than 0.9 V in the counter electrode based on a silver/silver chloride electrode as a reference electrode in contact with the electrolytic solution, and the electrolytic solution is in contact with the working electrode.
(In other words, this thing will start working to chemically "reduce" Carbon Dioxide at an electric potential of only about one volt. That ain't much.)
Background and Field: The present invention relates to a method for reducing carbon dioxide.
A carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction technique using a catalyst is expected as a technique for fixing CO2 and producing useful substances. ... As the CO2 reduction techniques using a catalyst, a catalytic hydrogenation method and an electrochemical method (electrolytic reduction method) have been studied so far. In the catalytic hydrogenation method, CO2 reacts catalytically with hydrogen (H2) to be reduced under a high temperature and high pressure gas phase condition.
In the electrolytic reduction method, the reducing reaction proceeds even at an ordinary temperature and ordinary pressure. The electrolytic reduction method requires no large-scale equipment. Thus, the electrolytic reduction method is simpler than the catalytic hydrogenation method. Accordingly, the electrolytic reduction method is considered as an effective CO2 reduction method. As catalysts capable of reducing CO2 by the electrolytic reduction method, solid single metals such as copper (Cu) and silver (Ag), alloy materials of these, and complex materials (molecular catalysts) such as a cobalt (Co) complex, a nickel (Ni) complex and an iron (Fe) complex have been developed so far ... .
(Interestingly, some of the research reportage on Carbon Dioxide reduction/conversion cited by the inventors in the full Disclosure dates back to the 1950's.)
Summary: Generally, CO2 is a very stable molecule. Thus, the CO2 reduction treatment by the catalytic hydrogenation method requires a high temperature (a heating temperature of 300C) and a high pressure (a reaction pressure of 50 atmospheres) for a reaction proceeding. Furthermore, the catalytic hydrogenation method uses a flammable gas such as H2. For these reasons, the catalytic hydrogenation method requires to install large-scale equipment. The catalytic hydrogenation method has a problem in that a great deal of energy must be input into the reduction treatment and in that the energy utilization efficiency is very low.
(Actually, concerning the above, as seen for one example in our report of:
West Virginia Coal Association | Japan CO2 to Methanol to Gasoline | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent Application 20130237618 - Process for Producing Methanol; September 12, 2013; Assignee: Mitsui Chemicals, Inc., Tokyo; Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a methanol production process which can efficiently produce methanol from carbon dioxide and hydrogen";
the "efficiency" with which Carbon Dioxide can be converted into Methanol is being improved.)
Moreover, the solid single metals, the alloy materials, and the molecular materials used as catalysts in the electrolytic reduction method have a durability problem in that they deteriorate severely with time during the long-time catalytic reaction. Thus, a catalyst material that is capable of reducing CO2 by the electrolytic reduction method and has high practicability has not been found yet.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for reducing carbon dioxide using a highly-durable catalyst that is capable of reducing CO2 at an overvoltage equal to or lower than overvoltages required for conventional catalysts to produce highly useful substances (such as formic acid (HCOOH), methane (CH4), ethylene (C2H4), and ethane (C2H6)).
A method for reducing carbon dioxide according to the present invention includes:
a step (a) of preparing an electrochemical cell, wherein
the electrochemical cell comprises a working electrode, a counter electrode and a vessel,
the vessel stores an electrolytic solution,
the working electrode contains boron carbide,
the electrolytic solution contains carbon dioxide,
the working electrode is in contact with the electrolytic solution, and
the counter electrode is in contact with the electrolytic solution; and
a step (b) of applying a negative voltage and a positive voltage to the working electrode and the counter electrode, respectively, to reduce the carbon dioxide.
(The) method of the present invention makes it possible to produce highly useful substances, such as HCOOH, CH4, C2H4 and C2H6, at an overvoltage equal to or lower than overvoltages required in conventional methods. Furthermore, the high durability of boron carbide allows the working electrode to achieve high durability.
The method for reducing CO2 using B4C (Boron Carbide) is very simple because it can be carried out by blowing CO2 gas into an electrolytic solution or by forming a three-phase boundary with a gas diffusion electrode. Thus, it can be said that the method for reducing CO2 using B4C is a very promising technique as an energy-saving measure for CO2 in places where large-scale equipment cannot be installed in houses and communities.
(Cited test results confirm) that B4C, which is a highly durable compound, is capable of reducing CO2 electrolytically at an overvoltage lower than overvoltages for a conventional catalyst. Moreover, it was shown that the use of B4C as a catalyst for reducing CO2 made it possible to obtain CO, CH4, C2H6, etc. as products. B4C made it possible to reduce CO2 electrolytically in an energy-saving manner, only with an external DC power supply at ordinary temperature.
The catalyst used in the method for reducing CO2 of the present invention can be used for more environmentally-friendly configurations. The method for reducing CO2 of the present invention can be applied to methods using a solar cell as an external power supply. The catalyst for reducing CO2 can be applied, by combination with a photocatalyst, to catalysts which can be used with solar energy.
The CO2 reduction treatment technique is expected to be useful as a more environmentally-friendly resource recycling method for the future if they are combined with photocatalytic technology and solar power generation technology."
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First of all, the "B4C", Boron Carbide, catalyst specified wouldn't be exotic or expensive. We can get plently of the needed Boron, as any old mechanic who's scrubbed his greasy mitts with Boraxo (TM) could attest.
And, the B4C reduction catalyst can be used in "combination with a photocatalyst", so that the Carbon Dioxide-to-hydrocarbon conversion process "can be used "with solar energy", and, be operated "at ordinary temperature".
Finally, we'll remind you, that, as seen for only one out of now many examples in our report of:
West Virginia Coal Association | California 2013 CO2 + Methane = Methanol | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 8,440,729 - Conversion of CO2 to Methanol Using Bi-Reforming of Methane; Date: May 14, 2013; Inventors: George Olah and G.K. Surya Prakash, CA; Assignee: University of Southern California, Los Angeles; Abstract: The invention provides for a method of forming methanol by combining a mixture of methane, water and carbon dioxide under specific reaction conditions sufficient to form a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide which are then reacted under conditions sufficient to form methanol";
once we have Methane, as one product, made so efficiently herein, via the process of our subject, "United States Patent 8,617,375 - Method For Reducing Carbon Dioxide", from CO2 and H2O, in reactions driven by simple sunlight, we can then react that CO2-derived Methane with even more Carbon Dioxide, again as collected from whatever convenient source, and thereby synthesize other uniquely valuable products, all while putting a bullet in the head of Cap & Trade carbon taxes and thumbing our noses at OPEC.
Happy New Year.