Carbon sequestration and dry reforming process and catalysts to produce same

1. A dry reforming process, comprising the steps of:

providing a reactant gas mixture comprising carbon dioxide and an organic material;

activating a two-dimension carbon sequestration catalyst including a steel-based material by heating the steel-based material to a temperature higher than an eutectic point of the steel-based material to at least partially transform the steel-based material into its α-phase; and

bringing said gas mixture in contact with the two-dimension carbon sequestration catalyst comprising the preactivated steel-based catalytically active material at a temperature wherein solid carbon nanoparticles or nanofilaments are formed at the surface of the two-dimension carbon sequestration catalyst resulting in carbon sequestration;

wherein the two-dimension carbon sequestration catalyst is substantially internal porosity free to reduce carbon sequestration within the catalyst and increase carbon sequestration superficially on the catalyst.

2. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the steel-based catalytically active material comprises at least one of nickel, chrome and cobalt alloying elements.

3. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the steel-based catalytically active material is a high temperature resistant iron alloy.

4. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the two-dimension carbon sequestration catalyst further comprises a non-porous support having an active metal deposited thereon, the active metal being selected from the group consisting of nickel, platinum group metals promoted nickel, alkali-enhanced nickel, copper-promoted nickel, and tin-promoted nickel.

5. A carbon sequestration process comprising the steps of:

providing a reactant gas mixture comprising carbon dioxide and an organic material;

providing at least one two-dimension carbon sequestration catalyst being substantially internal porosity free for sequestering carbon, said catalyst comprising a steel-based material;

activating the steel-based material of the at least one two-dimension carbon sequestration catalyst material by heating the steel-based material to a temperature higher than an eutectic point of the steel-based material to at least partially transform the steel-based material into its α-phase;

contacting the reactant gas mixture with the at least one catalyst under conditions wherein solid carbon nanotubes or nanofilaments are formed over the at least one two-dimension carbon sequestration catalyst; and

recovering the solid carbon particles.

6. The carbon sequestration process as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising mechanically withdrawing the solid carbon nanotubes or nanofilaments.

7. The carbon sequestration process as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising adding steam to the reactant gas mixture.

8. The carbon sequestration process as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising activating the steel-based material by preheating under an inert gas flow.

9. The carbon sequestration process as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the organic material and the carbon dioxide in the reactant gas mixture are in a molar ratio ranging between 0.3 and 3.

10. The carbon sequestration process as claimed in claim 5 , wherein at least one of the at least one catalyst further comprises a non-porous support having an active metal deposited thereon.

11. The process as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising mechanically withdrawing the solid carbon nanotubes or nanofilaments.

12. The process as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising adding steam to the reactant gas mixture.

13. The process as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising activating the steel-based material by preheating under an inert gas flow.

14. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the organic material and the carbon dioxide in the reactant gas mixture are in a molar ratio ranging between 0.3 and 3.

15. In a dry reforming process, comprising forming a reactant gas mixture including carbon dioxide, an organic material and a dry reformed gas, the improvement comprising bringing said reactant gas mixture in contact with a two-dimension carbon sequestration catalyst said catalyst comprising a preactivated steel-based catalytically active material at a temperature wherein a solid carbon nanotubes or nanofilaments are formed at the surface of the two-dimension carbon sequestration catalyst resulting in carbon sequestration, the two-dimension carbon sequestration catalyst being substantially internal porosity free to reduce carbon sequestration within the catalyst and increase carbon sequestration superficially on the surface of the catalyst and wherein the steel-based catalytically active material is activated by heating to a temperature higher than an eutectic point of the steel-based material to at least partially transform the steel-based material into its α-phase.

16. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the organic material is an alcohol.

17. The carbon sequestration process as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the alcohol is ethanol.

18. The process as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the organic material is an alcohol.

19. The process as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the alcohol is ethanol.

20. The process as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the steel-based catalytically active material comprises at least one of nickel, chrome and cobalt alloying elements.

21. The process as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the steel-based catalytically active material is a high temperature resistant iron alloy.

22. The process as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the active metal is selected from the group consisting of nickel, platinum group metals-promoted nickel, alkali-enhanced nickel, copper-promoted nickel, and tin-promoted nickel.

23. A dry reforming process, comprising:

contacting a reactant gas mixture including carbon dioxide and an organic material with a two-dimension steel based material including α-phase steel and being substantially internal porosity free at a temperature wherein solid carbon nanotubes or nanofilaments including iron are deposited superficially on the steel based material.

24. The process as claimed in claim 23 , wherein the steel-based material comprises at least one of nickel, chrome and cobalt alloying elements.

25. The process as claimed in claim 23 , wherein the steel-based material is a high temperature resistant iron alloy.

26. The process as claimed in claim 23 , further comprising mechanically withdrawing the solid carbon nanotubes or nanofilaments.

27. The process as claimed in claim 23 , further comprising adding steam to the reactant gas mixture.

28. The process as claimed in claim 23 , further comprising activating the steel-based material by preheating under an inert gas flow.

29. The process as claimed in claim 23 , wherein the organic material and the carbon dioxide in the reactant gas mixture are in a molar ratio ranging between 0.3 and 3.

30. The process as claimed in claim 23 , wherein the organic material is an alcohol.

31. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the solid carbon nanoparticles or nanofilaments comprise iron.

32. The process as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the solid carbon nanotubes or nanofilaments comprise iron.

33. The process as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the solid carbon nanotubes or nanofilaments comprise iron.

34. The process as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the steel-based catalytically active material comprises at least one of nickel, chrome and cobalt alloying elements.

35. The process as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the steel-based catalytically active material is a high temperature resistant iron alloy.

36. The process as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the two-dimension carbon sequestration catalyst further comprises a non-porous support having an active metal deposited thereon, the active metal being selected from the group consisting of nickel, platinum group metals promoted nickel, alkali-enhanced nickel, copper-promoted nickel, and tin-promoted nickel.

37. The process as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising mechanically withdrawing the solid carbon nanotubes or nanofilaments.

38. The process as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising adding steam to the reactant gas mixture.

39. The process as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising activating the steel-based material by preheating under an inert gas flow.

40. The process as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the organic material and the carbon dioxide in the reactant gas mixture are in a molar ratio ranging between 0.3 and 3.

41. The process as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the organic material is an alcohol.