An experimental and computational study in Nature Catalysis shows promise for new class of catalysts producing ammonia under mild conditions.
An experimental and computational study in Nature Catalysis shows promise for new class of catalysts producing ammonia under mild conditions.
The production of ammonia amounts to about 200 megatons per year. This makes it the second-most produced chemical in the world, surpassed only by sulphuric acid.
There are several means of producing ammonia, but the Haber-Bosch process remains the most prevalent, accounting for about 90 % of total production. In any case, Haber-Bosch and the other processes involved in industrial-scale production require high temperatures (more than 400°C) and high pressure (more than 150 bar). Those conditions are needed to break the strong bonds in nitrogen and react with hydrogen to form ammonia (NH3).
These processes, taking up around 1% of global energy consumption, are largely fossil fuel-based. Hence, ammonia is the most greenhouse gas-intensive chemical-making reaction globally, totalling roughly 1,5% of total global CO2 emissions. In addition, demand for ammonia is only expected to increase in the coming years, mainly due to its use in synthetic fertilisers needed to feed an increasing global population.
Read more at: Technical University of Denmark
