Delving deep into the various methods available or still in research phase to produce clean ammonia as an alternative to Haber-Bosch process.
Here’s an article in nature that talks about how green ammonia production favours for a cleaner future.
According to the article,
- Traditional ammonia production emits large amounts of carbon dioxide.
- New methods for sustainable and green ammonia production are being developed to reduce carbon emissions.
- The Haber-Bosch process, which is currently used for ammonia production, consumes a significant amount of energy.
- The new methods aim to reduce energy and water usage in the production of ammonia.
Here are several new methods either being researched or used in industries to produce clean ammonia:
- Lithium-mediated ammonia synthesis: This process, developed by researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago, combines nitrogen gas and a hydrogen-donating fluid like ethanol with a charged lithium electrode. It operates at low temperatures and is regenerative, restoring the original materials with each cycle. The process is estimated to be 60% cheaper than prior lithium-based approaches and other proposed green methods.
- Electrochemical synthesis using renewable energy: Some plants are using renewable electricity to power the Haber-Bosch process, splitting water to produce hydrogen and then combining it with nitrogen to make ammonia. This approach aims to reduce emissions compared to traditional methods that rely on fossil fuels.
- Utilizing biomass: Researchers are exploring the use of biomass, such as agricultural waste, as a feedstock for ammonia production. This could potentially lower the carbon footprint compared to conventional methods that use natural gas.
- Plasma-assisted catalysis: Non-thermal plasma is being used to assist catalytic ammonia synthesis at atmospheric pressure. This approach operates at lower temperatures and pressures than the Haber-Bosch process.
- Ammonia production from hydrogen sulfide: A novel method has been developed to synthesize ammonia from hydrogen sulfide, which could provide an alternative to using natural gas as a feedstock.
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