A team of researchers led by RMIT University have successfully developed ‘low-carbon ammonia’, made with a new technique that utilises liquid metals as a catalyst.
The traditional process uses the force of pressure to catalyst the chemical reactions and has a high environmental cost, consuming over two percent of global energy and producing up to two percent of global carbon emissions.
RMIT Research Fellow and study lead author, Dr. Karma Zuraiqi (School of Engineering) stated the new process uses “20 percent less heat and 98 percent less pressure” relative to the traditional method.
“Ammonia production worldwide is currently responsible for twice the emissions of Australia,” she said.
“If we can improve this process and make it less energy intensive, we can make a large dent in carbon emissions.”
The “liquid metal” method is also more cost-effective as showcased in RMIT’s latest study: Liquid metal droplets of copper and gallium were used to break apart the raw nitrogen and hydrogen respectively, with the combined product working as effectively as current techniques at a lower cost.
“These advantages all make it an exciting new development that we’re keen to take further and test outside the lab,” said Zuraiqi.
Ammonia is a widely used chemical that is not only a component of fertilisers, aiding in food growth but also a carrier to transport clean energy sources like hydrogen.
RMIT’s new technique could positively impact ammonia production, supporting both large-scale and smaller, decentralised production.
The next challenges are to upscale the technology and modify the system to operate at even lower pressures, making it more practical as a decentralised tool for a greater variety of industries, according to RMIT Professor Torben Daeneke.
He said: “Our vision is to combine our green ammonia production technology with hydrogen technologies allowing green energy to be shipped safely around the world without huge losses on the way.”