Valorization of CO_2 Emissions into Ethanol by an Innovative Process

摘要

This study aims at assessing the possibility to produce value-added fuels from carbonrndioxide (CO_2) and non-fossil hydrogen (H_2). Ethanol synthesis is an economicallyrnattractive route for CO_2 recycling. The proposed process includes three phases:rn[1] hydrogen generation by solar water splitting in the photo-electrocatalytic cellsrn(PEC), [2] conversion of CO_2 to carbon moNO_xide (CO) by the reverse water-gas shiftrnreaction (RWGS) using previously obtained H_2, and [3] ethanol synthesis from thernsynthesis gas (CO + H_2). A first simulation model of the process was carried out withrnAspen Plus~? software in order to investigate the quantitative and qualitative evolutionsrnof the reaction products. Furthermore, a parametric study was conducted in order tornspecify the influence of the temperature, pressure, and reagents’ ratio.