US 4,434,133 A · System for the production of ketene and methylene from carbonate minerals

Abstract

Organic hydrocarbon materials are produced from plentiful inorganic limestone type materials by: (1) reacting the limestone type materials with molten lithium metal to produce Li.sub.2 C.sub.2 (2) hydrolyzing the Li.sub.2 C.sub.2 to produce C.sub.2 H.sub.2, (3) catalytically reacting the C.sub.2 H.sub.2 with steam to produce CH.sub.3 COCH.sub.3, (4) pyrolyzing the CH.sub.3 COCH.sub.3 to provide ketene and methane, and separating the ketene. The ketene may then be decomposed to provide methylene, which can be reacted with an alkane, such as methane in an insertion chain reaction, to provide organic hydrocarbon materials. An in-place nuclear reactor can provide energy for the endothermic reactions of the system.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A process of converting inorganic carbonate mineral material to organic hydrocarbon material, comprising the steps of:

(1) reacting inorganic carbonate mineral 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 Li.sub.2 C.sub.2 and Li.sub.2 O, and then
(2) hydrolyzing the lithium salts produced in step (1), to produce C.sub.2 H.sub.2, and then
(3) catalytically reacting the C.sub.2 H.sub.2 produced in step (2), with steam, in the presence of zinc containing catalyst, in a manner effective to produce CH.sub.3 COCH.sub.3, and then
(4) pyrolyzing the CH.sub.3 COCH.sub.3 produced in step (3), to provide ketene and methane, and then
(5) separating ketene from methane.

2 more elements

A process of converting inorganic carbonate mineral material to organic high carbon chain hydrocarbon material, utilizing nuclear reactor energy, comprising the steps of:

(1) reacting inorganic carbonate mineral 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 Li.sub.2 C.sub.2 and Li.sub.2 O, and then
(2) hydrolyzing the lithium salts produced in step (1), to produce C.sub.2 H.sub.2, and then
(3) catalytically reacting the C.sub.2 H.sub.2 produced in step (2), with steam, in the presence of zinc containing catalyst, at between about 250.degree. C. and about 475.degree. C., in a manner effective to provide gases which upon condensation yield CH.sub.3 COCH.sub.3, without producing benzene, and then
(4) pyrolyzing the CH.sub.3 COCH.sub.3 produced in step (3), at between about 600.degree. C. and about 800.degree. C., to provide ketene and methane, and then
(5) separting ketene from methane, and then
(6) decomposing the ketene to provide methylene, and then
(7) reacting the methylene with an alkane material, to provide a product which is reacted with additional methylene in a manner effective to cause methylene insertion chain reactions and provide hydrocarbon materials containing at least three carbon atoms;
where at least a part of the heat energy required for the pyrolyzing step of step (4) is supplied from a nuclear reactor.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System for the production of ketene and methylene from carbonate minerals

Life of this patent

System for the production of ketene and methylene from carbonate minerals

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14