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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Synthetic carbonaceous fuels and feedstocks

Patent ·
OSTI ID:5117604

This invention relates to the use of a three compartment electolytic cell in the production of synthetic carbonaceous fuels and chemical feedstocks such as gasoline, methane and methanol by electrolyzing an aqueous sodium carbonate/bicarbonate solution, obtained from scrubbing atmospheric carbon dioxide with an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution, whereby the hydrogen generated at the cathode and the carbon dioxide liberated in the center compartment are combined thermocatalytically into methanol and gasoline blends. The oxygen generated at the anode is preferably vented into the atmosphere, and the regenerated sodium hydroxide produced at the cathode is reused for scrubbing the CO/sub 2/ from the atmosphere.

Assignee:
Dept. of Energy
Patent Number(s):
US 4197421
OSTI ID:
5117604
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English