CO₂ capture and reuse

Dioxide Materials is a leader in the use of artificial photosynthesis , for the conversion of carbon dioxide into useful products. Artificial photosynthesis allows waste CO₂ to be used rather than buried. Dioxide Materials' patent pending Dual-Electrocat (DuElCat) process converts a mixture of carbon dioxide and water back to synthesis gas, using solar energy as an input. The synthesis gas can then be sent to a refinery where it is converted into gasoline using what is called the Fischer-Tropsch process.

The advantages are:

Dioxide Materials' process recycles waste CO₂ back to useful products. This is certainly preferable to burying the CO₂ and leaving it for future generations.

Dioxide Materials' process provides a domestic source of renewable fuels that does not compete with food production.

Dioxide Materials' process is designed to handle the variations in output of a renewable energy source. There are many wind farms and solar collectors coming on line. The present plan is to use the wind energy or solar to supply electricity to homes and businesses. What happens when the wind does not blow? Do everyone turn off all of their heat and lights? The advantage of using some of the wind or solar energy to make gasoline is that if the wind stops for a couple of days no one cares. So the process creates a little less gasoline or uses natural gas to create the syngas. This way the US can create renewable energy without risking anybody's lights going off or having to have massive backup power generators.

A recent report from the National Academy Of Sciences suggests that biofuels will not be able to meet the US need for renewable fuels because the US does not have enough unused arable land to grow the needed biomass. Dioxide Materials' technology has the possibility of meeting the US need for renewable fuels without needing arable land or competing with the food supply.

Dioxide Materials technology has recently appeared in Science and has been widely reported in the popular press

CO2 capture and reuse

CO₂ capture and reuse