This is how Carbon dioxide can be turned back to fuel!
Q. Scientists have discovered a means of reversing the combustion process, turning CO2 into _____.- Published on 01 Nov 16a. O2
b. Fuel
c. Renewable Energy
d. Methanol
ANSWER: Fuel
Scientists have turned CO2 into a fuel, rather than methanol which they had set out to do
- The United States researchers have used complex nanotechnology methods to turn the dissolved gas into ethanol.
- As the materials used are relatively cheap, the process could be used in industrial processes to store excess electricity generated by wind and solar energy.
- The technique may turn CO2 into methanol, but instead ethanol was generated.
- CO2, a waste product of combustion was used to push the reaction backwards with high selectivity to a useful fuel.
- Ethanol can be used in the vehicles without any modifications.
- The team used a catalyst made from carbon, copper and nitrogen and an electric current was then used to trigger the reaction.
- The process is expected to be much more complicated.
- The scientists discovered by accident that this material worked.
- The solution of CO2 dissolved in water turned to ethanol with a yield of 63-70 percent.
- All of the CO2 and electricity goes into it – a majority of the CO2 gets changed to ethanol.
- Researchers are currently trying to find more ways to improve the efficiency of the process and find out more about the catalyst’s properties.
