Method and system for oxidizing hydrogen- and carbon-containing feed in a molten bath of immiscible metals

A method for catalytically converting a hydrogen component in a hydrogen- and carbon-containing feed to dissolve hydrogen and for oxidizing the dissolved hydrogen to form water, comprising the steps of:

• a) introducing the feed to a molten bath system having,
• 1) a first molten metal phase for catalytically converting hydrogen and carbon components in the feed to dissolved hydrogen and dissolved carbon, said first molten metal phase comprising a first metal having a free energy of oxidation, at the molten bath system conditions, which is less than that of the oxidation of hydrogen to form water and greater than that of the oxidation of carbon to form a carbon oxide, and
• 2) a second molten metal phase for oxidizing the dissolved hydrogen formed in the first molten metal phase to form water, the second molten metal phase being substantially immiscible in the first molten metal phase and in contact with the first molten metal phase, the second molten metal phase being distributed, relative to the first molten metal phase, to cause a substantial portion of the dissolved hydrogen formed in the first molten metal phase to migrate to the second molten metal phase, said second molten metal phase comprising a second metal having a free energy of oxidation, at the molten bath system conditions, which is greater than that of the oxidation of hydrogen to form water, and in which the solubility of carbon is lower than in the first molten metal phase,
• whereby the first molten metal phase causes a greater amount of the carbon component in the feed to be catalytically converted to dissolved carbon in the molten bath system than in a molten bath of about equal volume to that of the molten bath system, but which includes only the second molten metal phase, said catalytic conversion of the carbon in the first molten metal phase increasing the rate of catalytic conversion of hydrogen component of the feed in the molten bath system to dissolved hydrogen;
• and
• b) introducing an oxidant to the first molten metal phase and the second molten metal phase of the molten bath system at a rate which is sufficient to cause the carbon in the first molten metal phase to be oxidized to form a carbon oxide gas, whereby at least a substantial portion of the carbon component in subsequent feed is catalytically converted to dissolved carbon in the first molten metal phase, and which rate is also sufficient to cause hydrogen in the second molten metal phase to oxidize and form water, whereby dissolved hydrogen in the first molten metal phase will migrate to the second molten metal phase for subsequent oxidation, thereby catalytically converting the hydrogen component in the hydrogen- and carbon-containing feed to dissolved hydrogen and oxidizing the dissolved hydrogen to form water.

In a method for converting a hydrogen component in a hydrogen- and carbon-containing feed to dissolved hydrogen, wherein the feed and an oxidant are introduced to a molten bath, and wherein the feed is exposed in the molten bath to conditions sufficient to cause the molten bath to convert the hydrogen component to dissolved hydrogen:

• The improvement comprising introducing the feed into a molten bath system having a first molten metal phase for converting the hydrogen and carbon components in the feed to dissolved hydrogen and dissolved carbon, said first molten metal phase comprising a first metal having a free energy of oxidation, at the molten bath system conditions, which is less than that of the oxidation of hydrogen to form water and greater than that of oxidation of carbon to form a carbon oxide, and a second molten metal phase for oxidizing the dissolved hydrogen formed in the first molten metal phase to form water, the second molten metal phase being substantially immiscible in the first molten metal phase and in contact with the first molten metal phase, the second molten metal phase being distributed, relative to the first molten metal phase, to cause a substantial portion of the hydrogen dissolved in the first molten metal phase to migrate to the second molten metal phase, said second molten metal phase comprising a second metal having a free energy of oxidation, at the molten bath system conditions, which is greater than that of the oxidation of hydrogen to form water, and in which the solubility of carbon is lower than in the first molten metal phase, whereby the first molten metal phase causes a greater amount of the carbon component in the feed to be converted to dissolved carbon in the molten bath system than in a molten bath of about equal volume to that of the molten bath system, but which includes only the second molten metal phase, said conversion of the carbon in the first molten metal phase increasing the rate of conversion of the hydrogen component in the feed to dissolved hydrogen, and introducing an oxidant to the first molten metal phase and the second molten metal phase of the molten bath system at a rate which is sufficient to cause the dissolved carbon in the first molten metal phase to be oxidized to form a carbon oxide gas, whereby at least a substantial portion of the carbon component in subsequent feed converts to dissolved carbon in the first molten metal phase, and which rate is also sufficient to cause hydrogen in the second molten metal phase to oxidize and form water, whereby dissolved hydrogen in the first molten metal phase will migrate to the second molten metal phase for subsequent oxidation, thereby converting the hydrogen component in the hydrogen- and carbon-containing feed to dissolved hydrogen and oxidizing the dissolved hydrogen to form water.

An apparatus for converting a hydrogen component in a hydrogen- and carbon-containing feed to dissolved hydrogen and for oxidizing the dissolved hydrogen to form water, comprising:

• a) a vessel;
• b) a molten bath system disposed in the vessel having,
• 1) a first molten metal phase for converting hydrogen and carbon components in the feed to dissolved hydrogen and dissolved carbon, said first molten metal phase comprising a first metal having a free energy of oxidation, at the molten bath system conditions, which is less than that of the oxidation of hydrogen to form water and greater than that of oxidation of carbon to form a carbon oxide, and
• 2) a second molten metal phase for oxidizing the dissolved hydrogen formed in the first molten metal phase to form water, the second molten metal phase being substantially immiscible in the first molten metal phase and in contact with the first molten metal phase, the second molten metal phase being distributed, relative to the first molten metal phase, to cause a substantial portion of the dissolved hydrogen formed in the first molten metal phase to migrate to the second molten metal phase, said second molten metal phase comprising a second metal having a free energy of oxidation, at the molten bath system conditions, greater than that of the oxidation of hydrogen to form water, and in which the solubility of carbon is lower than in the first molten metal phase,
• whereby the first molten metal phase causes a greater amount of the carbon component in the feed to be converted to dissolved carbon in the molten bath system than in a molten bath of about equal volume to that of the molten bath system, but which includes only the second molten metal phase, said conversion of the carbon in the first molten metal phase increasing the rate of conversion of hydrogen in the molten bath system to dissolved hydrogen;
• and
• c) means for introducing an oxidant to the first molten metal phase and the second molten metal phase of the molten bath system at a rate which is sufficient to cause the carbon in the first molten metal phase to be oxidized to form a carbon oxide gas, whereby at least a substantial portion of the carbon component in subsequent feed converts to dissolved carbon in the first molten metal phase, and which rate is also sufficient to cause hydrogen in the second molten metal phase to oxidize and form water, whereby hydrogen in the first molten metal phase will migrate to the second molten metal phase for subsequent oxidation, thereby converting the hydrogen component in the hydrogen- and carbon-containing feed to dissolved hydrogen and oxidizing the hydrogen to form water;
• and
• d) means for removing water formed in the molten bath system from the vessel.

An apparatus for catalytically converting a hydrogen component in a hydrogen- and carbon-containing feed to dissolved hydrogen and for oxidizing the dissolved hydrogen to form water, comprising:

• a) a vessel;
• b) a molten bath system disposed in the vessel having,
• 1) a first molten metal phase for catalytically converting hydrogen and carbon in the feed to dissolved hydrogen and dissolved carbon, said first molten metal phase comprising a first metal having a free energy of oxidation, at the molten bath system conditions, which is less than that of the oxidation of hydrogen to form water and greater than that of oxidation of carbon to form a carbon oxide, and
• 2) a second molten metal phase for oxidizing the hydrogen in the first molten metal phase to form water, the second molten metal phase being substantially immiscible in the first molten metal phase and in contact with the first molten metal phase, the second molten metal phase being distributed, relative to the first molten metal phase, to cause a substantial portion of the dissolved hydrogen formed in the first molten metal phase to migrate to the second molten metal phase, said second molten metal phase comprising a second metal having a free energy of oxidation, at the molten bath system conditions, greater than that of the oxidation of hydrogen to form water, and in which the solubility of carbon is lower than in the first molten metal phase. whereby the first molten metal phase causes a greater amount of the carbon component in the feed to be catalytically converted to dissolved carbon in the molten bath system than in a molten bath of about equal volume to that of the molten bath system, but which includes only the second molten metal phase, said catalytic conversion of the carbon component of feed in the first molten metal phase increasing the rate of conversion of hydrogen component of feed in the molten bath system to dissolved hydrogen;
• and
• means for introducing an oxidant to the first molten metal phase and the second molten metal phase of the molten bath system at a rate which is sufficient to cause the carbon in the first molten metal phase to be oxidized to form a carbon oxide gas, whereby at least a substantial portion of the carbon component of subsequent feed is catalytically converted to dissolved carbon in the first molten metal phase, and which rate is also sufficient to cause hydrogen in the second molten metal phase to oxidize and form water, whereby dissolved hydrogen in the first molten metal phase will migrate to the second molten metal phase for subsequent oxidation, thereby catalytically converting the hydrogen component in the hydrogen- and carbon-containing feed to dissolved hydrogen and oxidizing the dissolved hydrogen to form water;
• and
• d) means for removing water formed in the molten bath system from the vessel.