CARBON FIBERS WHICH CAN BE PRODUCED REGENERATIVELY OR PART-REGENERATIVELY FROM CO2 USING COMBINED PRODUCTION METHODS

Abstract

The invention relates to carbon fibers which are produced from CO.sub.2 based on different process chains. Amongst these, there are ways to produce, from natural base materials such as algal biomass, carbon fibre base materials such as PAN from CO.sub.2, but there are also purely artificial ways to produce, by means of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, via which carbon fibre precursors are also produced from CO.sub.2. Auxiliary products such as biodiesel and nutrients, which can generate an additional benefit, are produced according to said method.

Claims

1. Carbon fibers, characterized in that the polyacrylonitrile required for the production of carbon fibers is being derived from algal biomass triglycerides from which via glycerol methanol is being obtained via the GtM process and then via the mobile process propylene is being derived from the methanol, and then from the propylene acrylonitrile is being derived via the Sohio process and finally polyacrylonitrile is being derived, or the polyacrylonitrile is being derived from the biomass gasification via a BtL process from synthesis gas, via the methanol synthesis and via the mobile process to propylene, to form acrylonitrile via the Sohio process, or the polyacrylonitrile in being derived from the conversion of triglycerides on one hand to methanol and on the other hand via the by-product biodiesel and its conversion via autothermal reformingAtRinto synthesis gas and its conversion via methanol synthesis of this share of the production of methanol as well, followed by the entire methanol conversion into propene via the mobile process and then being converted into acrylonitrile using the Sohio process, or the polyacrylonitrile is being obtained using Fischer-Tropsch-Synthesis to form methanol, from this propene being obtained via the Mobil process, as well as forming acrylonitrile from propene via the Sohio process and subsequent polymerization to polyacrylonitrile, or the polyacrylonitrile needed for carbon fiber production is obtained by a combination of these processes.

2. Carbon fibers according to claim 1, characterized in that the process required for the polyacrylonitrile synthesis process is supplied with the necessary oxygen from the required electrolysis for the Fischer-Tropsch process.

3. Carbon fibers according to claim 1, characterized in that the required CO2 for the polyacrylonitrile synthesis originates from the flue gases from fossil power plants, from process-related CO2 emissions from steel, cement and aluminum production or from natural sources such as air.

4. Carbon fibers according to claim 1, characterized in that the required CO2 for the polyacrylonitrile synthesis originates from the flue gases of renewable biodiesel power plants and thus comes to 100% from natural sources.

5. Carbon fibers according to claim 1, characterized in that the required CO2 for the synthesis of polyacrylonitrile originates from the flue gases from natural biomass based electricity production.

6. Carbon fibers according to claim 1, characterized in that the required electricity for the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis originates from biomass used for electricity production or other renewable electrical power sources such as wind and PV systems.

Description

[0016] The following processes form the building blocks for the new process chains claimed in the claims of the application in order to produce polyacrylonitrile from CO2 via algal biomass for the production of bio-carbon fibers. 8 process chains are described below, as illustrated in FIGS. 1. to 8. and the sequence of the processes with the associated mass flows is described as follows:

1. 1st Process Chain 1, AlgaeBiodiesel ProcessGtMMOBIL (MtP)SOHIODRALON

[0017] a) without MeOH cycle and without energetic use of biodiesel
b) without MeOH cycle, with energetic biodiesel use
c) with MeOH cycle and without energetic use of biodiesel
d) with MeOH cycle and with energetic biodiesel use
2. Process chain 2, algae.fwdarw.Biodiesel process.fwdarw.GtAN.fwdarw.DRALON
a) without energetic biodiesel use
b) with energetic biodiesel use

3. Process Chain 3, AlgaeBtL/MeOH Synthesis ProcessMOBIL (MtP)SOHIODRALON

[0018] 4. Process chain 4, like 1 but with upstream MeOH production via BtL/MeOH synthesis
a) without energetic biodiesel use
b) with energetic biodiesel use
5. Process chain 5. CO2.fwdarw.FTS+MeOH synthesis.fwdarw.MOBIL (MtP).fwdarw.SOHIO.fwdarw.DRALON
a) without upstream electrolysis for H2 supply
b) with upstream electrolysis for H2 supply
6. Process chain 6, like 1 but with upstream MeOH production via FTS/MeOH synthesis
a) without energetic biodiesel use
b) with energetic biodiesel use
7. Process chain 7, like 6 but with autothermal reforming (ATR) of biodiesel with partial biodiesel oxidation and FTS/MeOH synthesis
a) high-temperature ATR, air supply, max. syngas
b) low-temperature ATR, exclusion of air, max. propylene
c) as a) but with +9% CO2 feed towards FTS
d) like a) but with +50% CO2 feed towards FTS
8. Process chain 8, like 7a but with upstream BtL/MeOH synth. for syngas use
a) 60% of the total biomass supply towards BtL
b) 90% of the total biomass supply towards BtL
9. The legend for the processes described above with regard to the labeling in the figures is shown in Figure:
A algae Growth in salt water, production of algae biomass from CO2
B algae process 1: separating into nutrients and triglycerides
C algae Process 2: Splitting the triglycerides into glycerol and light algae oils and lipids
D Biodiesel process: esterification of algae oil
E GtM-Process: Conversion of glycerol into methanol
F MtP-process (MOBIL-Process): Conversion of methanol into propylene (propene)
G SOHIO Process: Acrylonitrile Synthesis from Propylene
H DRALON-process: Alcrylonitrile Polymerization to polyacrylonitrile fibers (spinning solution in the spinning bath becomes PAN fibers)
X GtAN-Process (Fraunhofer patent): direct acrylonitrile synthesis from glycerol
Y BtL/MeOH process: liquefaction of algal biomass and methanol synthesis
Z FTS/MeOH process: CO2 cleavage by Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and methanol synthesis
ATR autothermal reforming and partial oxidation of biodiesel
CHP CHP Unit for Combined Heat and Electricity Generation through Biodiesel Combustion

[0019] The process chains outlined in the accompanying drawings 1-8 and thus clearly described, are the basis of the production of bio-carbon fiber based on polyacrylonitrile (PAN), form the fundament for the following patent claims.