(514c) Rapid Production of High-Purity Hydrogen Fuel from Liquid Hydrocarbon Fossil Fuels

Hydrogen as an energy carrier promises a sustainable energy revolution. However, one of the greatest challenges for any future hydrogen economy is the necessity for large scale hydrogen production not involving concurrent CO₂ production. The intrinsically high hydrogen content of fossil fuels offers a potential route to CO₂-free hydrogen production through their catalytic deep dehydrogenation.

We have recently discovered a new approach to rapidly liberate high-purity hydrogen by microwave-initiated catalytic dehydrogenation of liquid alkanes using Fe and Ni particles supported on silicon carbide. A H₂ production selectivity from all evolved gases of some 98%, is achieved with less than a fraction of a percent of adventitious CO and CO₂. Such a rapid and selective production of hydrogen from liquid hydrocarbon alkanes reveals a powerful new platform for hydrogen production.

Importantly, these findings represent a new and attractive path towards a decarbonised fossil fuels economy: Thus, fluid hydrocarbon fuels are not combusted - but rather utilised - as an abundant, widespread source for the production of high purity hydrogen for use in fuel cells. In this approach, CO₂ would never enter the atmosphere as in the conventional combustion process. The utilisation process yields elemental hydrogen and elemental carbon; the latter can then be readily subjected to recycling through a range of established chemical routes.