The invention generally relates to electrochemically active structures and methods of making thereof. More specifically, the invention relates to electrochemically active structure comprising a crystalline electride comprising a nitride or carbide of at least one of: an alkaline earth metal, a transition metal, a lanthanide metal, or a combination thereof, wherein the electride has a lattice capable of intercalating at least one ion, thereby releasing at least one electron into an external circuit; and wherein a change in lattice volume of the electride upon intercalating the at least one ion is less than about 40%. Further, methods of making these electrochemically active structures are disclosed. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention.

A circular carbon process involves: a) reacting hydrogen and carbon monoxide to produce methane and water, b) decomposing methane into carbon and hydrogen, and c) using carbon as reducing agent and/or using carbon in a carbon-containing material as reducing agent, in a chemical process to produce carbon monoxide and a reduced substance. The methane produced in a) is used in b), the carbon produced in b) is used in c), and carbon monoxide produced in c) is used in a).

A circular carbon process involves: a) reacting hydrogen and carbon monoxide to produce methane and water, b) decomposing methane into carbon and hydrogen, and c) using carbon as reducing agent and/or using carbon in a carbon-containing material as reducing agent, in a chemical process to produce carbon monoxide and a reduced substance. The methane produced in a) is used in b), the carbon produced in b) is used in c), and carbon monoxide produced in c) is used in a).

The present invention provides a method of preparing acetylene (C.sub.2H.sub.2), the method at least comprising the steps of: a) providing a methane-containing stream; b) subjecting the methane-containing stream provided in step a) to non-catalytic pyrolysis, thereby obtaining carbon and hydrogen; c) reacting the carbon obtained in step b) with CaO, thereby obtaining CaC.sub.2 and CO; d) reacting the CaC.sub.2 obtained in step c) with H.sub.2O, thereby obtaining acetylene (C.sub.2H.sub.2) and Ca(OH).sub.2; e) decomposing the Ca(OH).sub.2 obtained in step d), thereby obtaining CaO and H.sub.2O; f) using the CaO as obtained in step e) in the reaction of step c).

Nanostructured carbide chemical compound is used to convert carbide to carbon. A method comprising: providing at least one carbide chemical compound and reducing a metal cation with use of the carbide chemical compound to form elemental carbon, wherein the carbide chemical compound is nanostructured. The nanostructured carbide chemical compound can be in the form of a nanoparticle, a nanowire, a nanotube, a nanofilm, a nanoline. The reactant can be a metal salt. Electrochemical reaction, or reaction in the melt or in solution, can be used to form the carbon. The nanostructured carbide chemical compound can be an electrode.

The present invention relates to a loop-route production method and system for polyvinyl chloride, and belongs to the intersecting fields of coal chemicals, polymer materials and chemical machinery. Limestone and carbon materials such as coal are reacted in an oxygen-enriched high temperature furnace to obtain calcium carbide and carbon monoxide, and then acetylene and carbon monoxide are respectively produced from calcium carbide and dichloroethane (obtaining ethylene, etc., through methanol or ethanol); both of the end products are combined to form a closed-loop; acetylene and dichloroethane are reacted to produce a vinyl chloride monomer, which is polymerized to obtain polyvinyl chloride. The system of the present invention mainly includes a device for pulverizing and mixing solid raw materials, a device for conveying solid materials, an oxygen-enriched calcium carbide furnace, an oxygen-enriched air-blowing device, a tube-shell thermostatic reactor, a fixed bed tubular reactor, a fluidized bed reactor, an acetylene generator having a heat exchanger, a fixed bed reactor and a polymerization reactor. The present invention has the advantages of not only removing the dependence on oil resources during the production of polyvinyl chlorides, but also totally eliminating the mercury pollution.

The present invention relates to a loop-route production method and system for polyvinyl chloride, and belongs to the intersecting fields of coal chemicals, polymer materials and chemical machinery. Limestone and carbon materials such as coal are reacted in an oxygen-enriched high temperature furnace to obtain calcium carbide and carbon monoxide, and then acetylene and carbon monoxide are respectively produced from calcium carbide and dichloroethane (obtaining ethylene, etc., through methanol or ethanol); both of the end products are combined to form a closed-loop; acetylene and dichloroethane are reacted to produce a vinyl chloride monomer, which is polymerized to obtain polyvinyl chloride. The system of the present invention mainly includes a device for pulverizing and mixing solid raw materials, a device for conveying solid materials, an oxygen-enriched calcium carbide furnace, an oxygen-enriched air-blowing device, a tube-shell thermostatic reactor, a fixed bed tubular reactor, a fluidized bed reactor, an acetylene generator having a heat exchanger, a fixed bed reactor and a polymerization reactor. The present invention has the advantages of not only removing the dependence on oil resources during the production of polyvinyl chlorides, but also totally eliminating the mercury pollution.

Nanostructured carbide chemical compound is used to convert carbide to carbon. A method comprising: providing at least one carbide chemical compound and reducing a metal cation with use of the carbide chemical compound to form elemental carbon, wherein the carbide chemical compound is nanostructured. The nanostructured carbide chemical compound can be in the form of a nanoparticle, a nanowire, a nanotube, a nanofilm, a nanoline. The reactant can be a metal salt. Electrochemical reaction, or reaction in the melt or in solution, can be used to form the carbon. The nanostructured carbide chemical compound can be an electrode.

Nanostructured carbide chemical compound is used to convert carbide to carbon. A method comprising: providing at least one carbide chemical compound and reducing a metal cation with use of the carbide chemical compound to form elemental carbon, wherein the carbide chemical compound is nanostructured. The nanostructured carbide chemical compound can be in the form of a nanoparticle, a nanowire, a nanotube, a nanofilm, a nanoline. The reactant can be a metal salt. Electrochemical reaction, or reaction in the melt or in solution, can be used to form the carbon. The nanostructured carbide chemical compound can be an electrode.

Nanostructured carbide chemical compound is used to convert carbide to carbon. A method comprising: providing at least one carbide chemical compound and reducing a metal cation with use of the carbide chemical compound to form elemental carbon, wherein the carbide chemical compound is nanostructured. The nanostructured carbide chemical compound can be in the form of a nanoparticle, a nanowire, a nanotube, a nanofilm, a nanoline. The reactant can be a metal salt. Electrochemical reaction, or reaction in the melt or in solution, can be used to form the carbon. The nanostructured carbide chemical compound can be an electrode.