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Title: Thermocatalytic CO2-Free Production of Hydrogen from Hydrocarbon Fuels

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/828215· OSTI ID:828215

The main objective of this project is the development of an economically viable thermocatalytic process for production of hydrogen and carbon from natural gas or other hydrocarbon fuels with minimal environmental impact. The three major technical goals of this project are: (1) to accomplish efficient production of hydrogen and carbon via sustainable catalytic decomposition of methane or other hydrocarbons using inexpensive and durable carbon catalysts, (2) to obviate the concurrent production of CO/CO{sub 2} byproducts and drastically reduce CO{sub 2} emissions from the process, and (3) to produce valuable carbon products in order to reduce the cost of hydrogen production The important feature of the process is that the reaction is catalyzed by carbon particulates produced in the process, so no external catalyst is required (except for the start-up operation). This results in the following advantages: (1) no CO/CO{sub 2} byproducts are generated during hydrocarbon decomposition stage, (2) no expensive catalysts are used in the process, (3) several valuable forms of carbon can be produced in the process depending on the process conditions (e.g., turbostratic carbon, pyrolytic graphite, spherical carbon particles, carbon filaments etc.), and (4) CO{sub 2} emissions could be drastically reduced (compared to conventional processes).

Research Organization:
Golden Field Office, Golden, CO (US)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE) (US)
DOE Contract Number:
FC36-99GO10456
OSTI ID:
828215
Report Number(s):
DE-FC36-99GO10456; TRN: US200428%%1041
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: 30 Jan 2004
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English