Intriguing Steam Methane Reforming For Hydrogen Generation

The logic is the Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) process itself - extracting hydrogen from natural gas, methane. Hydrogen for oil companies is utilized to get the sulfur out of gasoline. 

In fact 95% of the hydrogen produced in the U.S. comes through methane reforming by applying an intense steam pressure into the gas. The product is hydrogen along with carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO).

For the oil companies Steam Methane Reforming is considered as economical. DOE on the other hand viewed it as deterrent in the measures to arrest the global climate change issues since the SMR process' accompanying emissions, CO2, is said to be twice the amount of hydrogen produced. So NO thank you for that.

SMR Flow

SMR Plant in Canada

Actually, it has long been used for oil refineries and some of its produced was used for food processing and for medical applications. And have flown rockets and other space craft for seeking some truths in the outer space... So thank you for that.

In another light, DOE supports research on three electrolyzer type: Alkaline, Solid Oxide and the Polymer electrolyte Membrane (PEM).

Other DOE Priority Research Areas for Hydrogen Production, Storage and Fuel Cells

• Novel Materials for Hydrogen Storage
• Complex hydrides
• Nanostructured materials
• Other materials (based on nitrides, imides, and other materials that fall outside of metal hydrides, chemical hydrides, and carbon-based hydrogen storage materials)
• Theory, modeling, and simulation
• Novel analytical and characterization tools

Extended crystalline solids composed of metal clusters

Endohedral BN Metallofullerene M@B36N36 Complex

• Membranes for Separation, Purification, and Ion Transport
• Integrated nanoscale architectures
• Fuel cell membranes
• Theory, modeling, and simulation of membranes and fuel cells

• Design of Catalysts at the Nanoscale
• Nanoscale catalysts
• Innovative synthetic techniques
• Novel characterization techniques
• Theory, modeling, and simulation of catalytic pathways

Nanoscale surfaces of platinum-bimetallic alloy

Solar Hydrogen Production

• Nanoscale structures
• Organic semiconductors and other high performance materials
• Theory, modeling, and simulation of photochemical processes

• Bio-inspired Materials and Processes
• Enzyme catalysts
• Bio-hybrid energy coupled systems
• Theory, modeling and nanostructure design

Hydrogenase Hydrogen Catalyst

Self-Assembling Hydroxyapatite-Polymer Nanocomposites

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