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US 4,317,659 AGranted
Production of hydrogen, acetylene and ammonia gases from lithium reaction with hydrocarbon materials
AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorMichael G. Down
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Abstract
A method of producing H.sub.2 and C.sub.2 H.sub.2 gases comprises the steps of drying a hydrocarbon biomass material to remove water without carbonization, reacting the dried hydrocarbon biomass with a stoichiometric excess of molten lithium metal to produce lithium salts comprising LiH and Li.sub.2 C.sub.2 and then hydrolyzing the lithium salts to produce a gaseous mixture comprising H.sub.2 and C.sub.2 H.sub.2.
Claims10
A method of producing a gaseous mixture comprising H.sub.2 and C.sub.2 H.sub.2, comprising the steps of:
- (A) providing a non-carbonized hydrocarbon biomass waste material, and then
- (B) drying the hydrocarbon biomass waste material at a temperature of up to about 65.degree. C. for a time effective to remove substantially all water, without carbonization, to provide a dried non-carbonized hydrocarbon biomass waste material containing major amounts of H and C atoms, where no substantial amount of hydrogen, oxygen or nitrogen gas is driven off from the hydrocarbon biomass material, and then
- (C) reacting the dried, non-carbonized hydrocarbon containing biomass waste material with a stoichiometric excess of molten lithium metal, at a temperature over about 300.degree. C. in the absence of air and moisture, to produce a product mixture comprising lithium salts:
- LiH and Li.sub.2 C.sub.2, and then
- (D) hydrolyzing the lithium salts to produce a gaseous product mixture comprising H.sub.2 and C.sub.2 H.sub.2.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.