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Boudouard reaction

The Boudouard reaction is the redox reaction of a chemical equilibrium mixture of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide at a given temperature. It is the disproportionation of carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide and graphite or its reverse:^[1]

2CO CO₂ + C

While formation enthalpy of CO₂ is higher than that of CO, the formation entropy is much lower. Consequently, according to the Ellingham diagram, the overall free energy change of formation of CO₂ by oxidation of carbon is almost constant and indifferent of the temperature, while the free energy change of formation of CO is a decreasing line. These two lines meet at 700℃, so the Boudouard reaction implies that on lower temperatures the equilibrium is on the exothermic carbon dioxide side and on higher temperatures the endothermic formation of carbon monoxide is the dominant reaction.
For instance, in the high temperature reducing environment of a smokestack, carbon monoxide is the stable product. When the carbon monoxide reaches the top of the smokestack, and the cooler air, the Boudouard Reaction takes place; the carbon monoxide is oxidized into carbon dioxide, and the graphite precipitates (reduces) as soot. The Ellingham diagram is a plot of the Gibbs free energy change for a reaction (ΔG), versus temperature.
In industrial catalysis, this is not just an eyesore; the coking can cause irreversible damage to catalysts and catalyst beds. This reaction also takes place in blast furnaces where carbon monoxide is used as the reductive agent on purifying metallic iron from its oxides in ore.



The reaction is named after the French chemist, Octave Leopold Boudouard (1872—1923) who investigated this equilibrium in 1905.^[3]

Fossil fuel

Fossil fuels are fuels formed by natural processes such as anaerobic decomposition of buried dead organisms. The age of the organisms and their resulting fossil fuels is typically millions of years, and sometimes exceeds 650 million years.^[1] The fossil fuels, which contain high percentages of carbon, include coal, petroleum, and natural gas. Fossil fuels range from volatile materials with low carbon:hydrogen ratios like methane, to liquid petroleum to nonvolatile materials composed of almost pure carbon, like anthracite coal. Methane can be found in hydrocarbon fields, alone, associated with oil, or in the form of methane clathrates. It is generally accepted that they formed from the fossilized remains of dead plants ^[2] by exposure to heat and pressure in the Earth's crust over millions of years.^[3] This biogenic theory was first introduced by Georg Agricola in 1556 and later by Mikhail Lomonosov in the 18th century.

It was estimated by the Energy Information Administration that in 2007 primary sources of energy consisted of petroleum 36.0%, coal 27.4%, natural gas 23.0%, amounting to an 86.4% share for fossil fuels in primary energy consumption in the world.^[4] Non-fossil sources in 2006 included hydroelectric 6.3%, nuclear 8.5%, and others (geothermal, solar, tide, wind, wood, waste) amounting to 0.9 percent.^[5] World energy consumption was growing about 2.3% per year.

Fossil fuels are non-renewable resources because they take millions of years to form, and reserves are being depleted much faster than new ones are being made. The production and use of fossil fuels raise environmental concerns. A global movement toward the generation of renewable energy is therefore under way to help meet increased energy needs.