2.2.3 Use of Natural Gas
Natural gas (methane, CH 4 ) has a multitude of industrial uses, including providing
the base ingredients for such varied products as plastics, fertilizers, anti-freeze, and
fabrics. In fact, industry is the largest consumer of natural gas, accounting for 43%
of natural gas use across all sectors.
CH 4 þ H 2 O ! CO þ 3H 2
ð2:2Þ
CH 4 þ CO 2 ! 2CO þ 2H 2
ð2:3Þ
Natural gas as a feedstock is commonly found as a building block for methanol,
which in turn has many industrial applications (Scheme 2.1). Natural gas is converted into syngas, through the catalytic Methane Wet Reforming (MWR) also
known as Methane Steam Reforming (MSR) (Eq. 2.2). An alternative route is the
so-called Methane Dry Reforming (MDR), which is based on the reaction of
methane with CO 2 , instead of water (Eq. 2.3). Natural gas is preferred to coal for
the production of syngas because of less CO 2 emissions and lower environmental
impact in general. In addition to these uses, there are a number of innovative and
industry-specific uses of natural gas such as desiccant.
However, fossil-C is a basic component of the energy and chemical industry:
supplanting it will not be simple, even if not impossible at least in some specific
applications. The strategies will be discussed in following chapters, clarifying the
role of CO 2 and renewable carbon in general.
2.3 Carbon Dioxide Emissions
All uses of C-based compounds will emit CO 2 at the end of the life cycle, as already
reported. This is true for synthetic chemicals, vegetals, animals, and even in human
life. Humans emit ca. 2.55 Gt CO2 /y or ca. 8% of the total amount emitted (Chap. 1).
The emitted CO 2 reaches the atmosphere and enters the carbon cycle (see Chap. 3).
With the increase of population, use of energy and quality of life, the emission of
CO 2 will continue to grow if there will not be a change in the actual trend. And such
change must be based on fossil-C substitution or on carbon recycling, supporting
Nature to make a wise use of CO 2 .
As Fig. 2.2 shows, the world population is continuously growing even if there is
a tendency to a reduced rate (Fig. 2.3). The consequent effect will be the increase of
use of energy, even due to the general improvement of quality of life of humans. In
a trend as usual, this will cause a serious increase of emission of CO 2 that will reach
over 45 Gt/y in 2040.
It is believed that the reduction of the emission of CO 2 into the atmosphere has a
key importance for keeping under control the climate change. Figure 2.4 shows the
trend of anthropogenic CO 2 emission since the start of the industrial age. Until 1950
18
2 Fossil-C Application in the Energy and Chemical Industry
Natural gas (methane, CH 4 ) has a multitude of industrial uses, including providing
the base ingredients for such varied products as plastics, fertilizers, anti-freeze, and
fabrics. In fact, industry is the largest consumer of natural gas, accounting for 43%
of natural gas use across all sectors.
CH 4 þ H 2 O ! CO þ 3H 2
ð2:2Þ
CH 4 þ CO 2 ! 2CO þ 2H 2
ð2:3Þ
Natural gas as a feedstock is commonly found as a building block for methanol,
which in turn has many industrial applications (Scheme 2.1). Natural gas is converted into syngas, through the catalytic Methane Wet Reforming (MWR) also
known as Methane Steam Reforming (MSR) (Eq. 2.2). An alternative route is the
so-called Methane Dry Reforming (MDR), which is based on the reaction of
methane with CO 2 , instead of water (Eq. 2.3). Natural gas is preferred to coal for
the production of syngas because of less CO 2 emissions and lower environmental
impact in general. In addition to these uses, there are a number of innovative and
industry-specific uses of natural gas such as desiccant.
However, fossil-C is a basic component of the energy and chemical industry:
supplanting it will not be simple, even if not impossible at least in some specific
applications. The strategies will be discussed in following chapters, clarifying the
role of CO 2 and renewable carbon in general.
2.3 Carbon Dioxide Emissions
All uses of C-based compounds will emit CO 2 at the end of the life cycle, as already
reported. This is true for synthetic chemicals, vegetals, animals, and even in human
life. Humans emit ca. 2.55 Gt CO2 /y or ca. 8% of the total amount emitted (Chap. 1).
The emitted CO 2 reaches the atmosphere and enters the carbon cycle (see Chap. 3).
With the increase of population, use of energy and quality of life, the emission of
CO 2 will continue to grow if there will not be a change in the actual trend. And such
change must be based on fossil-C substitution or on carbon recycling, supporting
Nature to make a wise use of CO 2 .
As Fig. 2.2 shows, the world population is continuously growing even if there is
a tendency to a reduced rate (Fig. 2.3). The consequent effect will be the increase of
use of energy, even due to the general improvement of quality of life of humans. In
a trend as usual, this will cause a serious increase of emission of CO 2 that will reach
over 45 Gt/y in 2040.
It is believed that the reduction of the emission of CO 2 into the atmosphere has a
key importance for keeping under control the climate change. Figure 2.4 shows the
trend of anthropogenic CO 2 emission since the start of the industrial age. Until 1950
18
2 Fossil-C Application in the Energy and Chemical Industry