(157c) Survey of Potential Uses for Carbon Dioxide Captured From Coal-Burning Power Plants

Approximately 50% of the electricity in the United States is generated through the combustion of coal. One billion tons of coal is burned annually for electricity production, resulting in over two billion tons of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a potent greenhouse gas that can contribute to global warming. The United States Department of Energy is sponsoring research on the separation and sequestration of carbon dioxide from coal-derived flue gas. A major issue is determining good uses for the massive quantities of carbon dioxide that could potentially be separated from flue gas.

Some of the current uses of carbon dioxide that will be examined include fire suppression, food preservation, refrigeration and cooling, beverage carbonation, inert gas needs such as for welding, enhanced oil and coal bed methane recovery, supercritical cleaning, biomass production, and polymer-plastic manufacture. Future research areas for carbon dioxide utilization such as fuel production, pharmaceutical chemicals, coal gasification, oxy-combustion of coal, and passivation of alkaline wastes will also be discussed.

Literature Cited

1. Edwards, J.H. Potential sources of CO2 and the options for its large-scale utilization now and in the future, Catalysis Today, 23, 59-66, 1995.

2. White, C.M.; Strazisar, B.R.; Granite, E.J.; Hoffman, J.S.; Pennline, H.W. Separation and Capture of CO2 from large Stationary Sources and Sequestration in Geological Formations ? Coalbeds and Deep Saline Aquifers, Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, 53, 645-715, 2003.