Welsbach patent has expired!!

Dunno what that means for chemmie theories, but I thought you'd like to know -

Patent analytics - 5,003,186

Original patent on google patents

Zoe...Vat dost dis means??????

reply to post by nighthawk1954


We can expect cheaper "generic" machines shortly??

reply to post by Aloysius the Gaul

Dear Aloysius the Gaul,

Thank you, thank you, thank you. You've opened the door to new thoughts with your post. I believe it's the best thing I've seen on ATS for a week or two. I'm still a little excited. (But I wish I knew something about chemistry.) You've introduced me to CALTHRATES! Wait a minute, I've got to calm down, then I can tell you what happened.

OK, I'm a little better.

I clicked on your link to Patent Analytics. Actually, I didn't get much out of the Welsbach patent. But I looked around, as is my wont, and saw "Forward Cites" on the left hand portion of the page. The patent mentioned second from the bottom is this:

Method and apparatus for sequestering carbon dioxide in the deep ocean or aquifers

Well, you can see why I was very interested. I clicked on that patent (which you can do as well if you wish to follow along) and saw that it was a device to create carbon dioxide calthrates from ocean water. No doubt, this has got you to the stage where you're squirming in your chair with anticipation, and you're right to do so.

Just in case I have to refresh your memory a little, a carbon dioxide calthrate is one of many calthrates that can form when a light gas is combined with water. Not combined chemically, but physically. It's attached, or rides along, so to speak. But as you'll recall it undergoes a phase change and appears as a solid, tiny flakes looking like snow flakes. Now you can understand my interest, I'm sure.

The described device takes carbon dioxide from the ocean, which has absorbed it from various sources including human exhalation, and converts it to tiny flakes which fall to the bottom of the ocean. Voila! carbon dioxide, the EPA's current favorite target, is taken out of the system.

But, is all peaches and cream? I sense a cloud. Have there been studies on what the effect of utilization of this device will have on oxygen levels? There must be some work done in this area, if there hasn't been already.

That is not all, however. There are calthrates other than carbon dioxide, for example methane calthrates. Here, I'll let wiki explain methane calthrates: en.wikipedia.org...

Clathrates have been found to occur naturally in large quantities. Around 6.4 trillion (i.e. 6.4x1012) tonnes of methane is trapped in deposits of methane clathrate on the deep ocean floor. Such deposits can be found on the Norwegian continental shelf in the northern headwall flank of the Storegga Slide. Clathrates can also exist as permafrost, as at the Mallik gas hydrate field in the Mackenzie Delta of northwestern Canadian Arctic. These natural gas hydrates are seen as a potentially vast energy resource, but an economical extraction method has so far proven elusive. . . . Deep sea deposition of carbon dioxide clathrate has been proposed as a method to remove this greenhouse gas from the atmosphere and control climate change.

Not only can clathrates be a huge source of natural gas, they can remove CO2 from the air when we burn the methane thus obtained.

Now, before you get all excited and rush off for the champagne to celebrate, remember we have to think through the long term effects of our interfering in the O2 - CO2 cycle.

As I said, thank you for your amazing post. Anything I can do for you, just ask!

With respect,
Charles1952

what will the poor trees breathe??? I'm gonna levy you with a 'wood' tax!