- Details
We've cited Brookhaven National Laboratory researchers Creutz and Fujita, on the subject of Carbon Dioxide utilization previously.
Herein, via the enclosed link and attached file, they present a much fuller outline of the potentials for actually using Carbon Dioxide, in needed productive and profitable ways, as opposed to the costly, perhaps ineffective, disposal and storage of it.
The excerpt from the enclosed link and attached file, with comment interspersed and following:
"Carbon Dioxide as a Feedstock
Carol Creutz and Etsuko Fujita
Chemistry Department; Brookhaven National Laboratory; Upton NY 11973-5000
Carol Creutz and Etsuko Fujita
Chemistry Department; Brookhaven National Laboratory; Upton NY 11973-5000
This report is an overview on the subject of carbon dioxide as a starting material for organic syntheses of potential commercial interest and the utilization of carbon dioxide as a substrate for fuel production. It draws extensively on literature sources, particularly on the report of a 1999 Workshop on the subject of catalysis in carbon dioxide utilization, but with emphasis on systems of most interest to us.
Atmospheric carbon dioxide is an abundant (750 billion tons in atmosphere), but dilute source of carbon (only 0.036 % by volume), so technologies for utilization at the production source are crucial for both sequestration and utilization. Sequestration-such as pumping CO2 into sea or the earth-- is beyond the scope of this report, except where it overlaps utilization, for example in converting CO2 to polymers. But sequestration dominates current thinking on short term solutions to global warming, as should be clear from reports from this and other workshops."
(As we've seen, geologic "sequestration", in depleted oil reservoirs. for instance, "dominates current thinking on short term solutions to global warming". Wouldn't long term, and sustainable, solutions be far more preferable, what we should really be looking for? - JtM)
The 3500 million tons estimated to be added to the atmosphere annually at present can be compared to the 110 million tons used to produce chemicals, chiefly urea (75 million tons), salicylic acid, cyclic carbonates and polycarbonates. Increased utilization of CO2 as a starting material is, however, highly desirable, because it is an inexpensive, non-toxic starting material. There are ongoing efforts to replace phosgene as a starting material. Creation of new materials and markets for them will increase this utilization, producing an increasingly positive, albeit small impact on global CO2 levels. The other uses of interest are utilization as a solvent and for fuel production and these will be discussed in turn.
(So, "increased utilization of CO2 as a starting material is ... highly desirable". And, another CO2 use "of interest" is "for fuel production". - JtM)
"Principal current uses of carbon dioxide.
Urea synthesis is currently the largest use of carbon dioxide in organic synthesis. Urea, C(O)(NH), is the most important nitrogen fertilizer in the world. It is also an intermediate in organic syntheses such as production of melamine and urea resins, used as adhesives and bonding agents. Salicylic acid is used in pharmaceuticals.
Cyclic organic carbonates, high melting, but extremely high boiling, serve as solvents for natural and synthetic polymers such as lignin, cellulose, nylon, polyvinyl chloride. They are extensively used in the production of polyacrylic fibers and paints. Ethylene and propylene carbonates have many uses in chemical synthesis; also they react with ammonia and amines to form carbarnates; from reaction with diamines they yield di(hydroxyethyl)carbamates which can further react with urea to form polyurethanes.
Novel insertions are under active investigation: incorporation of CO, into polymers-polycarbonates, polypyrones, lactone intermediates, and polyurethanes Of particular interest is the incorporation of carbon dioxide into polymers, an active area of research and very promising for future applications. However, the impact of new materials and processes in this area will ultimately depend on market forces, a factor than
can be frustrating to the researchers.
can be frustrating to the researchers.
Carbon Dioxide as Solvent. Supercritical carbon dioxide is a hydrophobic solvent which can replace organic solvents in a number of applications. Its critical temperature is 31°C and it is of very low viscosity. When carbon dioxide is substituted for an organic solvent, solvent costs may be reduced and emission of toxic organics can be reduced.
(So, using Carbon Dioxide in a solvent application could enable the "emission of toxic organics" to "be reduced". Sounds rather environmentally friendly, to us. - JtM)
Thermodynamic Barriers to CO2 Utilization. Carbon dioxide is a very stable molecule and accordingly energy must generally be supplied to drive the desired transformation. Thus high temperatures, extremely reactive reagents, electricity, or the energy from photons may be exploited to carry out carbon dioxide reactions:
The reaction, CH, + CO2, = 2 CO -I- 2 Hz, is called the carbon dioxide reforming of methane. (It) could significantly mitigate CO, produced in cement, lime and metal (iron, aluminum) production ... .
For electrochemical reduction of CO2 to methane, energy may be derived from a solar cell or nuclear power. Reduction may also be accomplished photochemically by utilizing a dye to absorb visible light, since carbon
dioxide itself does not absorb visible light. Interestingly, with vacuum ultraviolet irradiation of carbon dioxide yields oxygen and carbon monoxide.
Conversion of Carbon Dioxide to Fuels: Direct Hydrogenation
With abundant renewable energy sources carbon dioxide can be converted to fuels by reduction to methanol or methane. The value of a fuel is based on its energy content and its ease of transport and storage. ... The high energy density of carbon-based fuels and their availability as either gases, liquids, or solids are important reasons for the dominant position of fossil fuels in the current market place. Today carbon
dioxide is a by-product of fuel use, not a feedstock for fuel production. Utilization of CO2 converted to fuels using renewable or nuclear power produces no net emission of CO2 (when carbon dioxide produced by energy consumption in the reduction process is excluded) and it would complement the renewable production of fuels from biomass which is likely to be insufficient to meet future world demands. Catalysis can play an important role in this area. The objective is to develop strategies for reduction of CO2
that can be adapted to utilization at different sources and to attain fuel products widely utilizable with current and future technologies.
Hydrogenation of carbon dioxide to methanol is slightly exergonic, and to methane to a greater extent ... because of the favorable thermodynamics of water formation.
Catalysis of hydrogenations leading ... to hydrocarbons is being successfully addressed. Reduction to carbon monoxide is also useful when the carbon monoxide-hydrogen mixtures can be used to augment feeds in industrial processes such as ethylene and methanol production. Methanol, lower hydrocarbons (methane, ethane, ethylene, etc), CO, and HCOOH have been prepared .
(So, reactions of CO2 "leading ... to hydrocarbons is being successfully addressed", as we have documented from Penn State University. - JtM)
Copper on ZnO seems to be the most active catalyst for methanol production. Selectivity for methanol
production was found to be very high and direct methanol production from CO2 may be commercially feasible with an inexpensive source of H2.
production was found to be very high and direct methanol production from CO2 may be commercially feasible with an inexpensive source of H2.
(The "inexpensive source of H2" is needed in direct hydrogenation reactions. There are alternatives. - JtM)
Conversion of Carbon Dioxide to Fuels: Indirect Hydrogenation
Hydrogen (H2) may be replaced by electrons and protons, available, for example, in electrochemical reduction in aqueous media.
(In other words, as other researchers have noted, the Hydrogen needed for CO2 hydrogenation can be obtained through "electrochemical reduction". - JtM)
Electrochemical reduction.
As noted earlier, direct electroreduction is achieved at high overvoltage. An unreactive metal or carbon electrode produces carbon dioxide radical anion ... . (Other) metals ... can direct CO2 reduction to hydrogenated products and at much smaller applied voltage ... . Particularly noteworthy is the work of Hori which showed that copper produces high yields of methane from aqueous bicarbonate at 0 C-and high yields of ethylene at 45 C.
Photochemical systems.
Photochemical reduction systems require efficient light harvesting, usually by a so-called dye or sensitizer, and efficient charge separation and energy utilization. Transition metal complexes ... serve as sensitizers.
Electrocatalysis Photocatalytic Reduction.
At present, electrochemical reduction of CO2 yields carbon monoxide, formate, methane, etc. with good current efficiencies and, in photochemical systems, quantum yields for carbon monoxide (and/or formate) are up to 40%.
There are many areas in which ongoing and future research can lead to new modes of carbon dioxide utilization.
This research was carried out at Brookhaven National Laboratory under contract DE-AC02-98CH10886
with the U.S. Department of Energy and was supported by its Division of Chemical Sciences, Office of Basic Energy Sciences."
with the U.S. Department of Energy and was supported by its Division of Chemical Sciences, Office of Basic Energy Sciences."
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So, there are almost half a dozen known processing routes for Carbon Dioxide that would yield liquid and gaseous fuels, fertilizer, and plastics manufacturing raw materials; and, at the same time, reduce the need for some hazardous raw materials, such as "phosgene", and, subsequently "emission of toxic organics can be reduced".
Naw. Let's just waste a lot of money, instead, to stuff it all down leaky geologic storage rat holes.
And, note: This research was conducted by a US Government Lab, and it was paid for with our tax dollars under USDOE contract DE-AC02-98CH10886. Why haven't we US taxpayers, especially those of us resident in US Coal Country, been told about any of it? Why haven't these opportunities been published and promoted? Why is it that all we hear about is Cap & Trade and Sequestration?
- Details
This translation from the original Portuguese might, in places, be phrased a little awkwardly, but the message is precise: Using sunlight and water, we can convert Carbon Dioxide into hydrocarbon fuels, and some other useful substances.
Comment follows:
"Electrochemical and photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide for fuel cell utilization
M.R. Gonçalves, J.A.D. Condeço, T.C.D. Pardal D.M. Roncero, B.L. Aguado and C.A.C. Sequeira
Affiliations:
OMNIDEA, Lda Travessa António Gedeão, Portugal
Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisboa, Portugal
Universidad de Valladolid - Facultad de Ciencias, Valladolid
Abstract
Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisboa, Portugal
Universidad de Valladolid - Facultad de Ciencias, Valladolid
Abstract
The electroreduction of CO2 at various metal electrodes yields many kinds of organic substances, namely CO, CH4, C2H6, EtOH, etc. However, hydrocarbons are favourably produced on Cu electrode and so, many studies have been reported.
The photochemical reduction of carbon dioxide by sunlight irradiation and under mild experimental conditions is also a very attractive method because of the needless of an electric source and an expensive apparatus. As for the direct use of solar energy, the production of fuel and organic raw materials on heterogeneous photocatalysts have been reported by numerous investigators.
In this paper, the photochemical reduction of carbon dioxide and water on microparticles of semiconductor oxides (TiO2, SiO2) and copper powder, illuminated by sunlight (500-1000 W/m2) for 100-200 hours at normal temperature and atmospheric pressure, was investigated and evaluated.
.
X-ray diffraction, gas chromatography, and other chemical and physical methods, allowed the analysis of the results. Methane and hydrogen were produced with reasonable yields, particularly for particles of larger surface area per unit weight. It was assumed that the electron holes available at the semiconductor/solution interface promote the H2O discharge to O2, and then both resulting H+ ions and conduction band electrons initiate the H+/CO2 reductons on the active sites ... that are responsible for the hydrogen and methane productions. Our results on the carbon dioxide reduction by electrochemical/chemical ways are very encouraging for the CO2 fixation and conversion to useful hydrocarbons and alcohols."
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To simplify it: Portugal knows how to convert CO2, "at normal temperature and atmospheric pressure", into "useful hydrocarbons and alcohols" by, basically, mixing it with water and exposing it to sunlight.
The proprietary key seems to be catalysis by oxides of titanium and silicon, and copper powder, with none of those being very exotic.
We suppose then, that the energy - "sunlight" - and raw material - "oxides of ... silicon, and copper", i.e., beach sand and recycled water pipes - costs wouldn't be that excessive; presuming the CO2, noxious pollutant it has been portrayed to be, is obtained free of charge; and, unless we would prefer to pay to ship it to, and to have it pumped down, a leaky, drying-up old oil well.
Note that this Portuguese research seems to support similar findings reported by multiple US DOE' National Labs, as we've reported. And, it confirms the results of Swiss developments we recently sent you, as in: "'Methanation and photo-methanation of carbon dioxide at room temperature and atmospheric pressure'
by Thampi, Kiwi & Grätzel; Institut de Chimie Physique, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérate, Switzerland"; and which is now posted on the West Virginia Coal Association's web site, in their R&D Blog.
And, again, as we've documented from multiple other sources, once we've synthesized the Methane, "CH4", and the "alcohols", as above, from CO2, we can make a lot of other things, up to and including gasoline, from them.
- Details
We've reported on and referenced many times the ExxonMobil "MTG"(r), Methanol To Gasoline, process, and documented some earlier reports of the technology's development, including sequential documents from each company, Exxon and Mobil, prior to their merger, recording what seemed to be their independent development of carbon conversion techniques.
We've even suggested that, as Exxon and Mobil, separately, developed coal liquefaction and gasoline synthesis technologies, their congruent interests in coal conversion science, along with shrinking supplies of traditional petroleum resources, might have spurred their merger.
Herein, we present a document, and reference one we earlier sent you, that mark their trail even more clearly.
First, the technical Abstract of a US Patent, assigned to Exxon, for a process to produce Methanol, from Coal, as excerpted from the above link:
Title: Production of methanol via catalytic coal gasification
Author(s): Calvin, W.J.; Goldstein, S.S.; Marshall, H.A.
Date: September 1982; OSTI ID: 6787393; US Patent 4348487; Application 317358 filed November 1981
Patent Assignee: Exxon Research And Engineering Co
Abstract: Methanol is produced by gasifying a carbonaceous feed material with steam in the presence of a carbon-alkali metal catalyst and added hydrogen and carbon monoxide at a temperature between about 1000/sup 0/ F and about 1500/sup 0/ F and at a pressure in excess of a 100 psi to produce a raw product gas comprising methane, ... carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide. The raw product gas is withdrawn from the gasifier and treated for the removal of steam, particulates, hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide to produce a treated gas containing primarily carbon monoxide, hydrogen and methane. The treated gas is separated into a methane-rich gas stream and a gas stream containing primarily carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The gas stream containing primarily carbon monoxide and hydrogen is passed to a methanol synthesis reactor where the carbon monoxide is reacted with the hydrogen in the presence of a methanol synthesis catalyst to form methanol. Methanol product is recovered from the effluent exiting the methanol synthesis reactor thereby leaving a gas comprised of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, methane and carbon dioxide. A portion of this gas is passed to a steam reforming furnace wherein at least a portion of the methane is reacted with steam to produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide which is then passed from the steam reforming furnace into the gasifier. Preferably, at least a portion of the methane-rich gas produced in the separation step is used as fuel for the steam reforming furnace."
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Note, as an aside, that "methane-rich gas", which they propose using as both a co-reactant and a process fuel, is produced in their gasification system, and recall that technologies exist, such as "Tri-reforming", as reported by Penn State University, which can combine Methane with Carbon Dioxide in a CO2-recycling process that itself synthesizes higher hydrocarbons suitable for refining into liquid fuels.
In light of the above, also recall that, in an earlier dispatch, we reported on Mobil's later development of the technology to convert Methanol into Gasoline, as in "Aromatics, light olefins and gasoline from methanol", by Haag, et. al., of Mobil R&D in Princeton, NJ.
We know this dispatch is redundant, relative to the various other reports of Exxon and Mobil developments we've presented. But, the only way we have to emphasize the truth, the validity, of viable technology that would enable the United States to achieve liquid fuel self-sufficiency by utilization of her vast coal resources, is by repetition.
Just as Exxon and Mobil combined their names when they merged, we'll close by combining the titles of the two reports referenced herein: Consider this to be a disclosure of the technology to synthesize "gasoline from methanol (produced) via catalytic coal gasification".
That is, precisely, what it is.
- Details
We present the enclosed and attached from a surprising Friend of Coal, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for a couple of reasons.
First, we have lately been documenting the "Tri-reforming Process", as described by Penn State University, and others, as a technology which can productively recycle the Carbon Dioxide byproduct of our coal-use industries into valuable fuels and chemicals.
Penn State's technology specifies the use of Methane as a co-reactant with Carbon Dioxide, and we wanted to again document that, although Methane can be synthesized from Carbon Dioxide via Sabatier-type processes, it can also be generated from coal.
Although anyone who has spent any time in coal country should know that fact almost intuitively, we feel compelled to document, authoritatively, each and every of our assertions, since the science of coal conversion seems to have many, some surprising, opponents and detractors.
We note, as well, and will, in future dispatches, further document, that, once Methane, or "Synthetic Natural Gas", is produced from coal, not only can it serve as a reactant for Carbon Dioxide to make useful organic products in the Tri-reforming Process, it, too, can be directly converted into liquid fuels and organic chemical manufacturing raw materials; most especially Methanol, which itself is a valuable liquid fuel and can be further catalyzed, as we have tediously documented, into gasoline.
In any case, some excerpts from the attached and enclosed, with comment interspersed and following:
"Thermodynamic Analysis of Coal to Synthetic Natural Gas Process
Lei Chen, Rane Nolan, Shakeel Avadhany
Supervisor: Professor Ahmed F. Ghoniem
Mechanical Engineering, MIT and Materials Science and Engineering, MIT
77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 3-335
Cambridge, MA 02139-4307
77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 3-335
Cambridge, MA 02139-4307
Submitted: May 11th, 2009
Abstract Natural gas is a clean energy source of the fossil fuels that dominates today’s energy supply. The Coal-to-Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG) concept has been successfully demonstrated as a feasible energy production concept. As a final report for term project of Fundamentals of Advanced Energy Conversion, the scope of this research includes a state-of-the-art technologies review for Coal-to-SNG, the thermodynamic parametric study of main components in this process, and the efficiency assessment of the overall energy system implementing different gasification technologies, as well as the novel hydromethanation process. ... Hydromethanation is a promising novel route with about 70% energy efficiency; however it is still under development because of the technique challenges on catalysts."
(In the available literature, "challenges on catalysts" in coal conversion processes are frequently noted; primary among those challenges being carbon deposition. Without citation, we submit that catalyst reactivation techniques have been developed. Catalyst deactivation seems to be a known and quite solvable problem. - )
"According to the United States Department of Energy, 90% of all new baseload power plants will be fueled by natural gas. The sudden increase in demand for natural gas will make its price point skyrocket. This presents an opportunity for novel ways to introduce supply into the market. One of these novel ways includes the conversion of coal, an abundant fossil fuel resource in the U.S., to SNG (Synthetic Natural Gas). SNG can be produced from coal, petroleum coke, biomass, or solid waste. The carbon containing mass is gasified and then converted to methane, a large component of natural gas."
(That categorical statement, "coal ... is gasified and then converted to methane", is all we really need to document from this MIT report, for the purpose of supporting our thesis that the Methane needed for Carbon Dioxide recycling can be obtained from coal. But, as we will further document in future correspondence, not only can the methane extracted from coal be used to reform CO2 into liquid fuels, it can itself be directly catalyzed into liquids, including Methanol, which, aside from being a valuable liquid fuel in it's own right, is an extraordinarily versatile raw material for the manufacture of gasoline and plastics.)
"From a national security standpoint, SNG presents a means to alleviate the reliance on imported energy resources by making the most of an abundant American resource. SNG could be liquefied and transported throughout the U.S. via existing pipeline infrastructure already in-place."
(That "abundant American resource" would, of course, be coal.)
"A Coal-to-SNG system converts solid hydrocarbons such as coal, biomass or petroleum coke into SNG. A conventional approach for Coal-to-SNG is by a process of gasification, gas shift, and methanation. This “indirect” approach has been demonstrated in the Great Plains Synfuel Plant for 20 years and proven to be successful in application. More recently, advancements have been made on the “direct” gasification approach by the Great Point Energy. This mechanism involves hydromethanation and circumvents the
processes of gasification and water gas shift.
processes of gasification and water gas shift.
The hydromethanation, or catalytic steam gasificaiton technology, is considered to be more energy-efficient than the traditional methanation processes. This process was initially developed by Exxon in the 1970s using potassium carbonate (K2CO3) as a catalyst. However the process is still under development and not commercialized."
(Exxon! Yet again! But, why is their "more energy-efficient" "hydromethanation" process for coal gasification not, apparently, being reduced to practice, except, perhaps, in China?)
"Hydromethanation (Catalytic steam gasification) - The direct method of Coal-to-SNG is a process that performs the same function as the indirect method, except eliminates three of the six steps. With less steps of energy conversion, there is an increase in end-to-end efficiency of producing SNG from the coal. ... In this process, gasification and methanation occur in the same reactor in the presence of a catalyst. Steam is the only gasification agent used so that gas shift and methanation steps are no longer necessary."
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Note that we have many times documented the use of steam, as above, as an agent that can help to effect the "methanation" of both Coal and CO2. Herein, it seems that steam serves to eliminate other, costly, steps in the conversion process.
MIT's report continues with many calculations, illustrations, chemical descriptions and references that are far beyond our scope, and our limited grasp.
However, we can close with one clear quote:
"Traditional coal-to-SNG process has been demonstrated to be feasible in synthetic fuel production."
If we want to obtain Methane from Coal, for the Tri-reforming of Carbon Dioxide, we can do so. And, as we will further document, if we do extract Methane from Coal, we can as well directly convert that Methane into liquid fuels compatible with our current transportation infrastructure.
- Details
Subsequent to our recent posts documenting that Methane can be generated both by the gasification of Coal and by the Sabatier conversion of Carbon Dioxide, we wanted to document that, once so obtained, Methane can also, in addition to being Tri-reformed with more CO2 into more complex and more useful hydrocarbons, be directly converted into liquid fuels - up to, and including, gasoline.
Enclosed are a sequence of three links, the first attached above, and three excerpts detailing the known and established processing steps that would, once we have made Methane from Coal or CO2, enable us to convert it into gasoline.
First, from Australia, we have:
"Homogeneous Conversion of Methane to Methanol. 1. Catalytic Activation and Functionalization of Methane
Kausala Mylvaganam, George B. Bacskay, and Noel S. Hush
[Unable to display image]School of Chemistry, University of Sydney, Australia
J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1999, 121 (19), pp 4633–4639; Copyright © 1999 American Chemical Society
Abstract
The recent announcement by Periana et al. (Science 1998, 280, 560) of 70% one-pass homogeneous catalysis of methane-to-methanol conversion with high selectivity in sulfuric acid solution under moderate conditions represents an important advance in the selective oxidation of alkanes, an area of considerable current interest and activity. The conversion is catalyzed by bis(2,2‘-bipyrimidine)Pt(II)Cl2. In this work, the thermodynamics of the activation and functionalization steps of the related cis-platin-catalyzed process in H2SO4 are calculated using density functional techniques, including the calculation of solvation free energies by a dielectric continuum method. It is concluded that electrophilic attack by CH4 on an intermediate which may be regarded as a tetracoordinate solvated analogue of a gas-phase, T-shaped, three-coordinate Pt(II) species, followed by oxidation of the resulting methyl complex to a methyl bisulfate ester, is thermodynamically feasible. ... While the alternative mechanism of oxidative addition does not appear to be thermodynamically feasible when using Pt(II) catalysts, catalysis by a Pt(IV) species is predicted to be, on thermodynamic grounds, a viable alternative pathway."
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So, we start out on the trail of Methane to Methanol conversion with "pathway"s that are "thermodynamically feasible" and are "predicted to be ... viable".
Then, we have from these same Australian researchers:
"Homogeneous Conversion of Methane to Methanol. 2. Catalytic Activation of Methane ... the Shilov Type Reaction
Kausala Mylvaganam, George B. Bacskay, and Noel S. Hush
[Unable to display image]School of Chemistry, University of Sydney, Australia
J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2000, 122 (9), pp 2041–2052; Copyright © 2000 American Chemical Society
Abstract
The C−H activation of methane catalyzed by cis- and trans-platin in aqueous solution has been studied by density functional based computational methods. ... The revised results provide evidence for the thermodynamic feasibility of oxidative addition of methane.".
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We were compelled to edit out a very great deal of far too technical detail in the second abstract. Suffice it to say that the "oxidative addition of methane", which yields Methanol, has had it's "thermodynamic feasibility" demonstrated. That's a good thing.
It's a "good thing" because, once the Methane, which has been synthesized from Coal or Carbon Dioxide, has been converted into the valuable liquid fuel and organic chemical manufacturing raw material, Methanol, that Methanol can be converted into gasoline, as follows:
We've cited Mobil, and Exxon, and even some of these same researchers, on this topic before, but repetitive emphasis is, we believe, necessary.
The excerpt:
"Aromatics, light olefins and gasoline from methanol: Mechanistic pathways with ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst
W.O. Haag, R.M. Lago and P.G. Rodewald
Mobil Research and Development Corporation, Princeton, NJ 08540
September 2001
Abstract
The conversion of methanol to hydrocarbons with zeolite ZSM-5 as catalyst provides a novel route to gasoline as well as to olefins and aromatics as chemical raw materials. The reaction is acid-catalyzed and involves alkylation of olefins and aromatics as major methanol conversion steps, accompanied by olefin isomerization, polymerization/cracking, cyclization and aromatization via hydrogen transfer. Shape-selective control of the aromatics produced results from the use of the medium pore size zeolite ZSM-5. It is shown that the true kinetic pathways are often disguised by diffusion/desorption effects. Ethylene is most likely the first olefinic hydrocarbon formed."
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So, we know from multiple, earlier-cited, sources, that we can convert both Coal and Carbon Dioxide into Methane.
As documented herein, once we have the Methane, we can convert it into Methanol. And, once we have the Methanol, we can convert it into Gasoline.
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