MIT News breed · Science

Electrochemical Method for Pure Hydrogen Production from Ammonia

Researchers have developed a novel electrochemical approach to extract pure hydrogen from ammonia, a promising hydrogen carrier. This method operates at lower temperatures and simultaneously separates and concentrates the hydrogen, eliminating the need for downstream purification.

Ammonia is an attractive carrier for hydrogen due to its ease of storage and transport. However, releasing hydrogen from ammonia typically requires high temperatures and subsequent purification.

The new strategy uses electricity to drive the dehydrogenation of ammonia, reducing the energy and temperature needed for hydrogen recovery. It simultaneously separates and concentrates the hydrogen into a high-purity stream.

This process couples a palladium-based separation membrane with a hydrogen-generating electrode via a molten hydroxide electrolyte. The membrane selectively transports hydrogen, while an electrochemical gradient drives its movement and conversion into a pure gas.

The system can operate at significantly lower temperatures (around 200-300 degrees Celsius) compared to conventional ammonia cracking (over 500 degrees Celsius). This also yields a pure hydrogen stream directly usable in applications like fuel cells.

The researchers demonstrated the method's effectiveness with both ammonia and methylcyclohexane, a type of liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC).

Potential applications include powering transportation and use in semiconductor manufacturing, where high-purity hydrogen is essential. The team is currently working on reducing the amount of palladium used and scaling up the process for industrial use.

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