SYDNEY, July 4 (Xinhua) — Australian scientists have pioneered a green method to produce ammonia gas from air using artificial lightning, which is low-cost, decentralized and scalable.
The team has created a more efficient process to produce ammonia gas directly, bypassing earlier methods that first yielded ammonium in solution and required additional steps and energy to obtain the final gas, according to University of Sydney researchers whose study was published Friday.
Ammonia is typically produced by the energy-intensive and fossil fuel-dependent Haber-Bosch process, an invention in the 19th century, said a statement from the university.
“In this research, we’ve successfully developed a method that allows air to be converted to ammonia in its gaseous form using electricity,” said the study’s lead researcher, University of Sydney Professor PJ Cullen.
The plasma-based method Cullen’s team developed uses electricity to excite nitrogen and oxygen molecules in the air. The team then passes these excited molecules to the membrane-based electrolyser to convert the excited molecules to ammonia, according to the study published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition under the German Chemical Society.
Researchers stressed the need for decentralized and low-cost green ammonia production independent of fossil fuels, noting the team’s plasma-electrolysis process is already energy efficient and scalable, with further improvements underway. ■