1994 Volume 43 Issue 6 Pages 322-330
Corrosion reaction has been applied to the reduction of carbon dioxide which is considered to cause the greenhouse warming problem. A batchwise study using Pyrex glass ampules has been carried out by saturating carbon dioxide in the solution suspended with iron powder. Experimental parameters employed are the amount of iron powder, the reaction temperature and the leaving time between opening the ampule and determining the products. The gaseous reaction products containing carbon have been identified as carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons of small molecular weight. The following results obtained are considered to be very interesting: (1) methane has been produced more predominantly than other gaseous products; (2) the amount of saturated hydrocarbon produced has been in the order of methane, ethylene, propane and n-butane; (3) with respect to the product in the ampule opened and left still for 23 hours, the yield of all hydrocarbons but methane has considerably increased, compared with that determined immediately after opening. The results have been interpreted by depicting the formation of a metastable conjugate complex among unsaturated hydrocarbons and corrosion products of iron.
