
New catalyst paves way for carbon neutral fuel - dnetesn
https://phys.org/news/2017-06-catalyst-paves-carbon-neutral-fuel.html
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mchannon
Contrary to the article's assertions, the main sticking point is not a low-
cost catalyst to convert CO2 + H2 to CH4.

The main sticking point is the fact that CH4 can come from myriad other
sources far far less expensively (some of them also carbon neutral, like
landfill gas), and by the time you've renewably generated H2, I'd seriously
hope you have something better to do with it than store it for later
combustion (unlike H2, there's not many other uses for CH4).

Roundtrip efficiency from electricity to H2 to CH4 to heat, be it physical or
economic, is pathetic compared to electricity to battery to heat.

Now if you've managed to make some heavier hydrocarbons, the US Navy might be
interested in talking to you.

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zykl0n
> Now if you've managed to make some heavier hydrocarbons, the US Navy might
> be interested in talking to you.

heavier hydrocarbons can be easily produced from methane through oxidative
coupling, but the more interesting path is the steam reforming

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jgamman
easily??!! i need a reference for that. the reason we blast it way the @#$@#4
up the energy mountain of syn gas via steam reforming is because methane is a
stubbornly happy little camper...

