Means and method for reducing carbon dioxide to a product

Apparatus for reducing carbon dioxide to a product comprising:

• a cell including
• a separator for separating the cell into two sections, a catholyte section and an anolyte section, each section having an inlet and an outlet,
• a dual porosity cathode having a catalyst and forming one wall of the catholyte section, and
• a porous anode arranged within the anolyte section in a manner so that an electrolyte entering through the inlet of the anolyte section will pass through the anode and exit through the outlet of the anolyte section;
• means for providing an electrolyte to the inlets of both sections of the cell;
• and
• means for providing carbon dioxide to the dual porosity cathode at a predetermined pressure;
• means for providing a d.c. voltage across the dual porosity cathode and the anode so as to cooperate in the reduction of the carbon dioxide within the dual porosity cathode to the product in the catholyte section.

Apparatus for reducing carbon dioxide to a product comprising

• a cell including
• a separator for separating the cell into two sections, a catholyte section and an anolyte section, each section having an inlet and an outlet
• a polytetrafluorethylene bonded cathode forming one exterior wall of the catholyte section, and
• a porous anode arranged within the anolyte section in a manner so that an electrolyte entering through the inlet of the anolyte section will pass through the anode and exit through the outlet of the anolyte section;
• means for providing an electrolyte to the inlets of both sections of the cell;
• means for providing carbon dioxide to the polytetrafluoroethylene bonded cathode;
• and
• means for providing a d.c. voltage across the polytetrafluoroethylene bonded cathode and the anode so as to cooperate in the reduction of the carbon dioxide within the polytetrafluoroethylene bonded cathode to the product in the catholyte section.

A method for reducing carbon dioxide to a product comprising the steps of:

• providing carbon dioxide to a catholyte chamber of a reaction cell,
• providing water to an anolyte section of the reaction cell,
• forming a passageway through the reaction cell with a dual porosity cathode between said passageway and said catholyte chamber and with a porous anode between said passageway and said anolyte chamber,
• providing an electrolyte in a manner so that it passes through said passageway, and
• providing a direct current voltage across said dual porosity cathode and said anode so as to cause a reduction of the carbon dioxide in cooperation with the electrolyte and hydrogen ions passing through the anode, to a product contained within the electrolyte and to cause oxygen to be emitted from the anolyte chamber.

A method for reducing carbon to a product comprising the steps of:

• providing carbon dioxide to the catholyte chamber of a reduction cell also having an anolyte chamber separated from the catholyte chamber by a separator,
• providing a dual porosity cathode as an exterior wall of the catholyte chamber,
• arranging a porous anode within the anolyte chamber so that an electrolyte entering the anolyte chamber will pass through the anode before exiting the anolyte chamber,
• providing an electrolyte to both chambers,
• providing carbon dioxide at a predetermined pressure to an exterior surface of the dual porosity cathode, and
• providing a d.c. voltage across the dual porosity cathode and the anode so as to cooperate in the reduction of the carbon dioxide within the dual porosity cathode and the anode so as to cooperate in the reduction of the carbon dioxide within the dual porosity cathode to the product in the catholyte section.

A method for reducing carbon to a product comprising the steps of:

• providing carbon dioxide to the catholyte chamber of a reduction cell also having an anolyte chamber separated from the catholyte chamber by a separator,
• providing a polytetrafluoroethylene bonded cathode as an exterior wall of the catholyte chamber,
• arranging a porous anode within the anolyte chamber so that an electrolyte entering the anolyte chamber will pass through the anode before exiting the anolyte chamber,
• providing an electrolyte to both chambers,
• providing carbon dioxide at a predetermined pressure to an exterior surface of the Teflon bonded cathode, and
• providing a d.c. voltage across the polytetrafluoroethylene bonded cathode and the anode so as to cooperate in the reduction of the carbon dioxide within the polytetrafluoroethylene bonded cathode and the anode so as to cooperate in the reduction of the carbon dioxide within the dual porosity cathode to the product in the catholyte section.