Production of carbon monoxide by direct thermal splitting of carbon dioxide at high temperature

Abstract

The direct thermal decomposition of carbon dioxide C02 to produce carbon monoxide CO have been studied as a mean of conversion and storage of a thermal energy, such as the solar heat, into a gaseous fuel. The process under investigation consists to displace the dissociation equilibrium of carbon dioxide by a selective pumping of oxygen at high temperature through a semipermeable membrane. Large amounts of carbon monoxide have been produced after the extraction of the oxygen arising from the C02 dissociation with the aid of a membrane made of calcia-stabilized zirconia. The variations of the flow of CO evolved from the reactor vs. temperature and oxygen partial pressure are in good agreement with the theoretical variations that may be deduced from the general equations of electrochemical transport in stabilized zirconia. Thereby, the efficiency of this process appears to be directly limited by the low oxygen permeation rate through the material used as oxygen selective membrane.