Article 1 - "Green Fuel from Carbon Dioxide"

Science Daily:
      Most of us know that carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas and it has a great effect on global warming. My first article is about a research team at the Freiburg Materials Research Center (FMF). The research team, led by Dr. Ingo Krossing, have now developed a system by which they can produce methanol using carbon dioxide and hydrogen. 
      Methanol is used in many ways and we can find it all most everywhere. Methanol is found in shampoos, the making of plastic bottles, car components. It is also used as "an environmentally friendly alternative for gasoline" (sciencedaily.com). The scientists are trying to "harness the power of carbon dioxide on a large scale and integrate it into the utilization cycle as a sustainable form of energy production" (sciencedaily.com). They are using hydrogenolysis, a process in which you combine carbon dioxide with hydrogen in a high pressure environment producing methanol.
      Methanol is less dangerous when used as an alternative to gasoline than conventional fuels. The scientists are hoping to be able to produce methanol on a high scale in around two years with this technique. They are stating that "when methanol burns carbon dioxide is released again and if the same molecules are used twice then 50 percent less carbon dioxide" will be used to produce energy (sciencedaily.com). Scientists at FMF also stated that "The amount of methanol that could be converted from 10 percent of the yearly carbon dioxide emissions in Germany would cover the country's yearly fuel needs" (sciencedaily.com). The scientists are trying to prove that methanol has a great amount of potential if used properly. There goal of producing methanol with large scales of carbon dioxide only contributes to their thought on preserving and storing energy for future needs. 
       I found this article to be interesting because I never knew that carbon dioxide could be recycled. If the scientists at this research center succeed in their goal then the world would benefit greatly from this. We would be able to store energy for approaching disastrous circumstances. 

MLA Citation for Image:
FMF. Doctoral Candidate Elias Frei Controls the Temperature in the Reactor of the Catalyst Test Device. 2012. Photograph. Freiburg. Science Daily. Science Daily, 13 June 2012. Web. 9 July 2012. <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120613132937.htm>.


MLA Citation of Article:
Science Daily. "Green Fuel from Carbon Dioxide." Science Daily 6 June 2012: n. pag. Web. 9 July 2012. <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120613132937.htm>.

Yavnika Kumar

9.07.11