World-first discovery could fuel the new green ammonia economy

Date:
June 10, 2021
Source:
Monash University
Summary:
Scientists have developed a new technique using phosphonium salts
that can help drive the future production of green ammonia. This
process could reduce the impact of ammonia production on global
carbon emissions. Each metric ton of ammonia produced today
contributes to roughly 1.9 metric tons of greenhouse emissions.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
In a world-first, Monash University scientists have developed a new, environmentally friendly process that could drive the future production
of green ammonia.


========================================================================== Ammonia (NH3) is a globally important commodity for fertiliser production
to help sustain food production. It is currently produced via a metal
catalysed reaction between nitrogen gas and hydrogen from natural gas,
using an established technology known as the Haber-Bosch process.

The production of each metric tonne of ammonia contributes to the emission
of roughly 1.9 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide, and accounts for roughly
1.8 per cent of global carbon emissions.

A team of Monash University scientists, led by Professor Doug MacFarlane,
Dr Bryan Suryanto and Dr Alexandr Simonov, have discovered a process
based on phosphonium salts that represents a breakthrough in overcoming
this carbon- intensive problem.

The research, published in the journal Science, unlocks the potential
to produce ammonia and fertilisers from renewable energy in reactors,
as small as a refrigerator, that could be rolled out at the individual
farm or community level.

Direct, zero-carbon ammonia synthesis methods currently being explored
include the electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction, which can produce ammonia at room temperature and pressures from nothing more than air,
water and renewable energy.



==========================================================================
But previous attempts to make this work have previously only been able
to demonstrate very small amounts of ammonia, in part because of the
need for "sacrificial" sources of protons, said Dr Suryanto from the
Monash School of Chemistry.

"In our study, we have found that a phosphonium salt can be used as a
'proton shuttle' to resolve this limitation," Dr Suryanto said.

"In 2019, the total global production of ammonia reached 150 million
metric tonnes per year, making it the second-most produced chemical
commodity in the world. With increasing global population, the demand for ammonia will reach 350 million metric tons per year by 2050. Additional
growth in the demand for ammonia is expected because of the growing
interest in its use as an energy carrier or fuel.

"The Haber-Bosch process currently used to produce ammonia is extremely
carbon intensive. Moreover, it also requires high temperatures and
pressures and can only be feasibly achieved in large reactors in large industrial plants.

"Our study has allowed us to produce ammonia at room temperature at
high, practical rates and efficiency." Professor MacFarlane, chemist,
believes the use of carbon-neutral production technologies could also
see ammonia used as a fuel and replace fossil fuels by 2050.



========================================================================== Ammonia is already widely considered to be the ideal zero-carbon fuel
for international shipping in the future, a market predicted to be worth
more than USD$ 150 billion by 2025.

"The technology that we have developed also opens up a broad range of possibilities for future scale up to very large production facilities
for export, attached to dedicated solar and wind farms," Professor
MacFarlane said.

"These could be sited in ideal renewables generating locations such as
northern areas of Western Australia.

"Our discoveries have been licensed to a new Monash spin-out called
Jupiter Ionics P/L who will be scaling up the process to demonstrate
operation in commercial applications." Monash University Faculty of
Science Dean, Professor Jordan Nash, said the study represented a major contribution towards the development of a sustainable fuel for the future.

"I commend the outstanding work of our world-class researchers whose discoveries will help Australia to position itself as a leader in the
ammonia economy," he said.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Monash_University. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Bryan H. R. Suryanto, Karolina Matuszek, Jaecheol Choi, Rebecca Y.

Hodgetts, Hoang-Long Du, Jacinta M. Bakker, Colin S. M. Kang,
Pavel V.

Cherepanov, Alexandr N. Simonov, Douglas R. MacFarlane. Nitrogen
reduction to ammonia at high efficiency and rates based on a
phosphonium proton shuttle. Science, 2021; 372 (6547): 1187 DOI:
10.1126/ science.abg2371 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/06/210610150110.htm

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