CONVERTING CO_2 TO USEFUL PRODUCTS: AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COAL AND STEEL INDUSTRY

摘要

With increased CO_2 emissions from steel and coal industry, there is great opportunity to capture CO_2 and utilize the captured CO_2 for economic advantage. The primary goal is to develop energy-efficient processes that reductively couple CO_2, an abundant and renewable carbon source, for the production of value-added chemicals such as methanol, ethanol, and oxalic acid. These chemicals can be used elsewhere in the refining process or sold as valuable by-products. Geological sequestration, in comparison, has no economic return. Current CO_2 utilization research at Michigan Technological University focuses on electrochemical reduction of CO_2. Electrochemical reduction of CO_2 to hydrocarbons and other chemicals is a complex multistep reaction with adsorbed intermediates. The exact reaction mechanisms leading to various products are not clear from the literature to date and will likely change over the range of conditions like pH, electrode potential, electrolyte medium, catalyst, etc. This paper will present different ideas and their viability to utilize CO_2 as a feedstock to produce several value-added compounds.