Hydrogen Production and Carbon Capture by Gas‐Phase Methane Pyrolysis: A Feasibility Study

Abstract

Invited for this month′s cover is the research group of Olaf Deutschmann and the team of Patrick Lott at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. The Cover image shows how an electrically heated reactor converts methane from natural gas or biogas into gaseous hydrogen and elemental carbon by means of high‐temperature pyrolysis. The transfer of this technology into industrial applications can be a valuable contribution towards a decarbonization of the chemical industry and the establishment of a hydrogen economy. The Research Article itself is available at 10.1002/cssc.202201720.

Photodriven Methane Conversion on Transition Metal Oxide Catalyst: Recent Progress and Prospects

“…[86][87][88] However, carbon deposition can occur on the catalyst surface through two processes: pyrolysis (CH 4 →2H 2 +C) and the Boudouard reaction (2CO→CO 2 +C), both leading to the catalyst deactivation. [89][90][91][92] It is worth noting that the Boudouard reaction becomes thermodynamically favorable at temperatures below 700 °C, while the pyrolysis reaction is more favorable at higher temperatures [93][94][95] CH 4…”

Autothermal Oxidative Coupling of Methane over Pt/Al2O3 Catalysts Doped with Rare Earth Oxides

“…The simplest hydrocarbon, methane (CH 4 ), which nowadays originates not only from fossil natural gas [1], but also from fermentation of biomass [2] and power‐to‐gas processes using renewable energy [3], plays a key role in chemical industry. It is of great interest for a variety of different applications such as (bio‐)methane pyrolysis [4–6], dry reforming [7, 8], or catalytic partial oxidation (CPOX) for syngas production [9, 10]. The main obstacle for any of these processes is the comparably strong C‒H bond of the CH 4 molecule, necessitating either high energy input or suitable catalysts for C‒H bond scission [11].…”

Sailing towards sustainability: offshore wind's green hydrogen potential for decarbonization in coastal USA

“…7 Influenced by factors such as availability, price, ease of adoption, and competition with alternative technologies, this growth could vary significantly, potentially reaching the serviceable consumption potential (SCP) of 106 MMT per year, representing the upper bound of the market size of hydrogen. Though multiple lowcarbon hydrogen production pathways such as steam methane reforming with carbon capture, [8][9][10][11] methane-pyrolysis [12][13][14] and biomass based thermochemical routes [15][16][17] exist, electrolysis with renewables is expected to be most widely adopted to meet this growing demand, potentially accounting for over 60% of future supply, 18 but its water usage and land requirements necessitate careful consideration for large-scale implementation. In addition to facing significant local resistance in siting new wind energy projects, 19,20 a recent study indicates that land scarcity could arise from the potential use of wind power to meet the 2050 targets of hydrogen production in the US while maintaining adequate forest and agricultural coverage, despite the US's vast geographical expanse.…”