Global CO2 Recycling

Abstract

Effective electrodes for electrolysis of seawater for production of hydrogen (H2) without releasing chlorine into atmosphere and catalysts for production of methane (CH4) by the reaction of carbon dioxide (CO2) with H2 have been tailored. Using these novel materials a CO2 recycling plant for substantiation of our proposal has been built on the roof of Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University. The CO2 recycling plant consists of a desert, a coast close to the desert and an energy consuming district. At the desert electricity is generated by solar cell operation and transmitted to the coast close to the desert. At the coast H2 is produced by electrolysis of seawater using the electricity, and then CH4 is formed by the reaction of H2 and CO2. CH4 is transported to the energy consuming district. At the energy consuming district combustion of CH4 is carried out not by air but by 02 and CO2 is recovered after removing H2O from the exhaust gas composed only of CO2 and H2O. The recovered CO2 is sent again to the coast close to the desert for reproduction of CH4.. The CO2 recycling plant has substantiated that the solar energy at the desert can be used by energy consumers in the form of CH4 without emitting CO2 into atmosphere.

Nanocrystalline Manganese-Molybdenum-Tungsten Oxide Anodes for Oxygen Evolution in Acidic Seawater Electrolysis

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6] Key materials necessary for this process are the anode and cathode for seawater electrolysis and the catalyst for CO 2 conversion into CH 4 . We have been tailoring these key materials.…”

Anodically Deposited Mn-Mo-Fe Oxide Anodes for Oxygen Evolution in Hot Seawater Electrolysis

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Global carbon dioxide recycling consists of power generation by solar cell on deserts, hydrogen production by seawater electrolysis at nearby desert coasts, and methane production by the reaction of hydrogen with carbon dioxide at the desert coasts. Because fresh water is not available at desert coasts, one of the key processes is seawater electrolysis by which we should produce hydrogen and oxygen on the cathode and the anode, respectively.…”

Methanation of carbon dioxide on Ni/(Zr-Sm)Ox catalysts

“…(3) However, the activity of the Ni/(Zr 0. 9 Sm 0.1 )O 1.95 catalysts prepared by wet impregnation is lower than those prepared from amorphous nickel-zirconium-samarium alloys. Additionally, the activity of the former catalysts decreases with increasing nickel content, mainly due to a decrease in the surface area.…”

“…Furthermore, it has been estimated that the energies and costs required to form liquefied methane in the large-scale global CO 2 recycling are comparable to those for production of LNG from natural gas wells. 9 Concerning catalysts for methanation of carbon dioxide, the high activity of the Ni/ZrO 2 catalysts prepared from amorphous nickel-zirconium alloys is strongly correlated with the formation of tetragonal ZrO 2 phase. 8 Turnover frequency for methanation of carbon dioxide increases with an increase in the relative amount of tetragonal ZrO 2 .…”