Hydrogen technologies

Journal Article · Fri May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1992 · Chemical Engineering (New York); (United States)

OSTI ID:5045767

To the non-nonsense engineer, any talk of a hydrogen economy may seem like so much hot air. This paper reports that as legislative, safety and environmental issues continue to tighten, they're promoting hydrogen's chances as an energy source and, more immediately, its prospects as a chemical feedstock. Paradoxically, the environmental demands that are stimulating hydrogen demand are also inhibiting the gas's production. Previously, gasoline was made with benzene, which means that H{sub 2} was rejected. But now that the laws mandate lower aromatic and higher oxygenate levels in gasolines, there's less H{sub 2} available as byproduct. At the same time, H{sub 2} demand is rising in hydrodesulfurization units, since the same laws require refiners to cut sulfur levels in fuels. Supplementary sources for the gas are also shrinking. In the chlor-alkali industry, H{sub 2} output is dropping, as demand for its coproduct chlorine weakens. At the same time, H{sub 2} demand for the making of hydrogen peroxide is growing, as that environmentally safer bleach gains chlorine's market share.

• OSTI ID: 5045767
• Journal Information: Chemical Engineering (New York); (United States), Vol. 99:5; ISSN 0009-2460
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

08 HYDROGEN
ENERGY SOURCES
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN FUELS
HYDROGEN PRODUCTION
AIR POLLUTION
CHEMICAL FEEDSTOCKS
DEMAND
GASOLINE
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
PETROLEUM REFINERIES
US CLEAN AIR ACT
ELEMENTS
FUELS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
LAWS
LIQUID FUELS
MATERIALS
NONMETALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PEROXIDES
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
POLLUTION
POLLUTION LAWS
RAW MATERIALS
SYNTHETIC FUELS
080400* - Hydrogen- Economic
Industrial
& Business Aspects