The Korea Institute of Science and Technology has developed a nano-metal catalyst that reduces the amount of ruthenium (Ru), an expensive precious metal used to extract hydrogen by decomposing ammonia in which hydrogen is stored by 60%.
Ammonia is a combination of nitrogen and hydrogen and has been used as a fertilizer and industrial raw material, and has been in the spotlight as a new hydrogen fuel carrier as it has been found that liquid ammonia can store and transport 50% more hydrogen fuel in the same volume than liquid hydrogen.
In addition, when ammonia is decomposed at high temperatures, only hydrogen and nitrogen gas are produced, thus minimizing carbon dioxide emissions. can do. In addition, ammonia is currently produced worldwide, with more than 200 million tons annually, and is used throughout industries, so it has the advantage of using the existing infrastructure for large-capacity storage and long-distance transportation.
Dr. Hyeon-Tae Son of KIST said, “The developed catalyst is a form in which 1 nanometer-sized ruthenium (Ru) metal is evenly spread over zeolite, a crystalline mineral, and has higher catalytic performance and durability than previously reported catalysts, which produces high-purity hydrogen from ammonia. “We will be able to speed up the commercialization of the process.”
Dr. Changwon Yoon of KIST said, “The importance of transporting large-capacity hydrogen using ammonia is increasing day by day, and securing related original technologies among advanced countries is fierce. He predicted that if this catalyst is applied to the large-capacity ammonia cracking hydrogen production process currently under research and development, it will ultimately help to commercialize large-capacity hydrogen transportation between countries.”
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