We have found out and elaborated the following new, revolutionary solutions :
1. Increasing the values of hard coal production (despite its recent downward trend ) through chemical processing of hard coal by carbide, to obtain from them new, very valuable products, up to polyens, graphanes, graphenes and their derivatives.
2. Obtaining a new, liquid carbohydrogen fuel, coming from the native coal industry, by carbide, to replace imported crude oil (petroleum)
3. Obtaining from hard coal , through carbide, pure (thermal and hydrogen) energy sources.
These solutions deal simultaneously with chemisatry, electronics, power and power raw materials such as coal, coke and, hydrogen.
Detailed description
It is how to get a better economic effect despite a smaller amount of coal production.. From coal, coke – and from coke and lime, – carbide is obtained (price ca 1 $/kg).
Carbide (CaC2) has a very big, even immense potential of triple and metalorganic bonds.. This potential is coming from:
a) heating raw materials up to the state of melting at 2300oC,
b) passing the current through the reaction mixture and
c) carrying out chemical reactions at above temperature.
Carbide reactions could not be reasonably used so far, as carbide practically does not melt and cannot be dissolved in any media. All over the world, 33 000 tons of carbide yearly is produced (Russia, Ukraina, Kazachstan, China, India and some other countries).
The production and chemical processing of carbide is particularly advantegous where cheap coal and electronic current are especially available and there is a noticable shortage of crude oil.
Unxpectedly, we have found that carbide can well dissolve in anhydrous zinc chloride, its alloys and solutions. and react with them. At temp. 100 – 200oC, carbide reacts with ZnCl2 and dissolves into meltable, soluble and reactive, monomeric products (patentr RP 142 071). CaC2 + ZnCl2 ClZn-C=C-CaCl
Triple bonds of monomeric reaction product in elevated reaction temperature polymerise to liquid, linear – polyconjugated double carbon bonds (polyens with semiconductor properties). At the next stage polycyclization of linear polyens to flat polymer of hydrogenated graphite type (graphane) structure occurs and the viscosity of the system is increased, including setting.
In each of these products, at each carbon atom, there are metallorganic bonds of calcium and zinc of Grignard type, which can be substituted under known rules, e.g.. in reactions with different compounds mono- and multi- halogen compounds e.g. C-CaCl + R’-Cl -C-R’ + CaCl2 yet the derivatives modifying the properties of products can be formed.
„The defect” of carbide which means its big energy consumption may be changed into its value because:
a) it applies to reaction products a large thermodynamic potential which can be used to facilitate difficent reactions to be not carried in another way.
b) a bigger energy consuming of the process is covered by burning cheap and easily accesible coal, using also cheap water energy ( e.g.. Norway, Sibiria) or cheap electric current from night time.. At temp.100 – 200°C, the reaction is controllable, going first into liquid, linear carbon polyens and then to solid, flat, polycycled reactive polymers of graphane type.
Over 220oC carbide reacts with ZnCl2 in a fast, very exothermal (reaction temperature increase up to 900oC without volatiles.), which can be a source of thermal energy Graphanes – flat polymers of one atom thickness, are excellent insulators, of many potential extraordinary applications. From graphane one can obtain graphenes (Nobel 2010).
All derivatives of polyens, graphanes and graphenes are of higher level than those described in known literature. The presence of substituents implies a possibility of regulation and imposing required properties to obtained products.
Prospective applications
The possibility of using graphanes and graphenes and the applications of obtained products from them are quoted below, after internet.. 1 m2 of graphen weight 0,77 mg. Graphen costs e.g. 6 mln E/m2 (8 m E/mg) They are fine thermal and electricity conductors (graphenes) and excellent insulators (graphanes). Electronic devices of new generation. Logic gates. Quantum dots (an electron in a 10 nm box,0.1 eV – graphanes). High powered lasers, super-condensers, batteries, energy storage (MP3, cellular ph.), Shortened loading and unloading time, withstanding of ten thousands cycles. Computer processors. Transistors – ionic electrolytes. Hybrid integrated circuits. Graphene nano-ribbons. Biosensors and other revolutionary medical instruments. 3 dimension graphenes: foams, aerogels, microspheres (150 farads/g). Projectors. Conducting ink. Glass heating. Prospective high temperature superconductors. (> 90 K). Kosmonautic. Defense.
– Carbide and zinc chloride reactions are highly exothermic (ca 13 kJ/g, temp growth of reaction mixture up to 900oC) without any volatile parts (gases) liberated.
– Graphanes at 400oC are reversibly transformed into graphenes liberating hydrogen (7 – 14% w) and thus could be used as chemical hydrogen containers.
From coal, through carbide, liquid carbon polymers can be obtained, for using as fuel instead of products from crude oil.
Newly discovered carbine, containing triple bonds (as in carbide !) is the world hardest raw material (40 times harder than diamond), and of world largest material resistance (6,0 – 7,5 x 107 Nm/kg), yet, more flexible and more resistant to stretching than graphenes. Carbine can be applied in many sophisticated nanoelectronic, integrated microelectromechanical systems and many other valuable products and their applications. Ready triple carbon bonds are contained in calcium carbide and its reaction products with ZnCl2..
Conclusion
Chemical transformation of hard coal through coke and carbide, into reactive polymers and different valuable products obtained from them seem to be the most effective and prospective way of taking advantage from home coal resources. It seems that in such a process one can reach the highest possible return of the added value as the raw material is easily accessible and inexpensive. Consequently, those products can be universally applied in numerous fields of science and technology as well as mechanical and power engineering, electronics, biochemistry etc.
Cheap products of specific destination and special properties, derived and based on carbide polymers, could also win in the world. This is also a strategic way fora production change, leading from imported crude oil to own from hard coal and obtaining cheap and pure energy.
Cost
The cost of starting up the production of polymers from carbide is estimated at 2,5 – 3,0 mln.$., refering to the return of investments for about 5 years with profit doubled early (estimated on mainly 10 years), from 250 t $ in the fourth year of investment .
Resume
As a result of our solutions, one can obtain from hard coal, through coke, carbide, polyenes, graphanes or graphenes and their derivatives, products very much more valuable than coal, and carbide, moving the world science fast forward.
Summary
Carbide (CaC2), obtained from hard coal by coke, has very big chemical potential of triple and metallorganic bonds but is insoluble and not meltable. We have found out that CaC2 reacts with ZnCl2 , its mixtures and solutions, giving soluble and meltable products which contain Grignard’s groups type substituents, at every carbon atom. At 100 – 200°C, the reaction is controllable, going first into liquid, linear carbon polyens (which are semiconductors) and then to solid, flat, polycycled reactive polymers of graphane type. Grignard’s groups type substituents, on every carbon atom, give a possibility of obtaining polymers with different constitution and desirable properties. From coal, through carbide, liquid carbon polymers (fuel!) can be obtained, instead of from crude oil. From graphane – graphene reversibly can be obtained, giving pure hydrogen energy. Over 220oC carbide reacts with ZnCl2 in a fast, very exothermal reaction, which can be a source of thermal energy without.volatiles.
For more information, please write to:
Zygmunt Wirpsza (prof.dr.hab. chem.eng.)
Eco Innova Sp.z o.o. 02-920 Warszawa. Powsińska str.18
E-mail: wirez@op.pl.
phone number. (22) 633 8115; 604 054 860;
home: 01-710 Warszawa, Włościańska str. 10/24