Chinese chemists describe SCWO parameters for corn stalk

[NNadir]

liquification to make bio-oils and mixed syn-gas/methane mixtures.

As we can all probably tell, I'm going through back issues of Energy and Fuels.

Chinese Chemists (notice that one doesn't read much about American Chemists) have described the Thermodynamic parameters of Supercritical Water Oxidation/liquification of corn stalks. The products are bio-oils (chemistry unspecified), asphaltene, and syn gas consisting of methane, hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.

Here is the reference Energy & Fuels 2004, 18, 90-96

"The data show that the conversion
is very highs95.4 wt % without any catalyst and 95.7
wt % with 1.0 wt % of Na2CO3, respectively; the total
liquid yield is 77.6 wt % without any catalyst and 88.8
wt % with 1.0 wt % of Na2CO3, and the yield of gas plus
light oil is 17.9 wt % without any catalyst and 6.8 wt %
with 1.0 wt % of Na2CO3. The presence of a catalyst not
only increases the yield of liquid product, but also
improves the quality of liquid product. With the addition
of a catalyst, the bio-oil yield increases from 33.4 wt %
to 47.2 wt %. The gas analysis indicated that the gas
composition is mainly CO2, CO, CH4, C2H6, and H2."

Asphaltene is a major constituent of Alberta tar sands. (It actually isn't happy stuff to handle.)

[Old and In the Way]

1. Applied Science is sooooo 20th century here.

While the rest of the world invests in the future, we'll be heading down the road into a past of blissful ignorance. We'll be investing in churches and moral values, thanks. No stem cells for us.


USA-USA-USA-USA-USA-USA

[NNadir]

2. Well, yes, it is.

The US is economically and scientifically doomed; much as the Italian city states were scientifically and economically doomed with the chilling orders of the Pope to threaten Galileo with torture.

Still, the world cannot concern itself with the collapse of neo third world states; there are consequences to be addressed by the remaining civilizations. China is every bit as dependent on the air as are the ignoramuses inhabiting this country.

Though I am sad about the scientific destruction of our once advanced country, I am glad that someone somewhere is looking to the future.

[Old and In the Way]

3. I've been to China a few times.

Guang Dong province is chocking on the smog. DongGuan and Guangzhou are particularly bad. Way too many 2-stroke motorcycles there. On the clearest days, there is what they call the South China haze....they have good reason not to duplicate our dependence on oil for their transportation requirements.

And they are investing heavily in education there. These people have a thirst for knowledge that blows my mind. The seeds of our demise are being cultivated by the Republican Party. And all that money going to the 1% in our Treasury give-away? Do you think it's being invested here? Not likely.

[Buzz Clik]

4. It's an interesting approach...

... and the Chinese need to find a solution to their skyrocketing energy needs. But let's not get carried away with bemoaning the lack of similar research in the US. Hell, I don't follow this research, yet I have two friends involved in the area. One is making biodiesel from Canola grown in composted biosolids, and the other is making lubricants from crop-derived oils. I've got to believe this is going on in a big way.

[NNadir]

5. Of the 51 articles in this month's Energy and Fuels...

...which is a journal put out the by American Chemical Society, 3 were produced by American labs by my crude count. All of them related to coal chemistry. I didn't bother counting the Chinese since there were so many of them.

The Canadians outstripped us by at least a factor of two.

Don't delude yourself. The United States is rapidly becoming a third world country in the area of scientific research. We have just "elected" a retard to lead our country for another four years, an individual who hates science.

We are doomed.

[Dogmudgeon]

6. Some vitally important questions

1. Does catalysis of mixed hydrocarbon products into synfuels involve the use of any histological sample(s) from aborted fetuses or whole aborted fetuses and/or embryos?

2. Do any of the thermochemical reactions produce measurable heat, the implications of which could possibly be used to refute Special Creation through Intelligent Design or promote Evolution (after Darwin and Wallace)?

3. Have a plurality of the high-viscosity petroleum workers in the Alberta tar sands fields accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savio(u)r and His death on the Cross as payment for sin?

4. Will misuse of these synfuels and/or exotic high-viscosity-matrix petroleum byproducts by children and youths result in the painful physical chastisement of their naked buttocks by a rod of discipline as mandated in Proverbs 22:16?

5. Will any such synfuel and/or exotic high-viscosity-matrix petroleum byproduct be used in the production, planning, distribution, promotion, profit-collection, merchandising, purchase or use of pornographic material or media?

6. Will synfuels and/or exotic high-viscosity-matrix petroleum byproducts be used to establish, legislate, promote, enable or otherwise condone Gay Marriage, Polygamous Marriage, or Man-On-Dog Marriage?

I also propose that the first widely-available synfuel oil be called "Reaganol".

--bkl

[NNadir]

7. Sorry. I'm talking about China, not La-La land.