Conversion of CO[sub 2] to CO by Electrolysis of Molten Lithium Carbonate

The conversion of to CO by electrolysis of molten was investigated. Using a cell comprising a Ti cathode, a graphite anode and a source of allows the continuous electrolysis of the melt at with current densities at the electrodes higher than . The faradaic efficiency of the process is close to 100%, and the thermodynamic efficiency at is . The proposed method has several advantages: (i) No precious metal is required, (ii) no hazardous or toxic by-products are produced, and (iii) the method may operate continuously, producing pure CO rather than a mixture of CO and . Therefore, the process described here has a potential application for converting electrical energy into fuel.