The study, published in Nature on April 30, was conducted by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials in Düsseldorf, Germany. In the study, the researchers bypassed the traditional multistep process to extract nickel — which includes calcination, smelting, reduction, and refining — and developed a single metallurgical step conducted in one furnace. “The proposed method has the potential to be up to about 18% more energy efficient while cutting direct carbon dioxide emissions by up to 84% compared with the current practice,
“Traditional nickel extraction is multi-step, energy-intensive and relies on carbon. Nickel oxide is heated with carbon, which removes the oxygen, producing pure nickel, along with carbon dioxide emissions.” The researchers have proposed replacing carbon with hydrogen as the reducing agent and using electricity as the energy source, specifically through an electric arc furnace.
Hydrogen plasma. Hydrogen gas, when subjected to high-energy electrons in an electric arc, splits into high-energy ions, entering a plasma state — the extremely hot and reactive fourth state of matter. It is distinct from solids, liquids, and gases. This hydrogen plasma rapidly reduces the metal oxides. From a thermodynamic perspective, the process is not only cleaner but significantly faster,
“Traditional nickel extraction is multi-step, energy-intensive and relies on carbon. Nickel oxide is heated with carbon, which removes the oxygen, producing pure nickel, along with carbon dioxide emissions.” The researchers have proposed replacing carbon with hydrogen as the reducing agent and using electricity as the energy source, specifically through an electric arc furnace.
“The end product of hydrogen reacting with oxygen is water, not carbon dioxide. Therefore, the entire process is carbon-free, using only electricity, hydrogen, and yielding water as a byproduct,
The study, published in Nature on April 30, was conducted by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials in Düsseldorf, Germany. In the study, the researchers bypassed the traditional multistep process to extract nickel — which includes calcination, smelting, reduction, and refining — and developed a single metallurgical step conducted in one furnace. “The proposed method has the potential to be up to about 18% more energy efficient while cutting direct carbon dioxide emissions by up to 84% compared with the current practice,
ReplyDelete“Traditional nickel extraction is multi-step, energy-intensive and relies on carbon. Nickel oxide is heated with carbon, which removes the oxygen, producing pure nickel, along with carbon dioxide emissions.” The researchers have proposed replacing carbon with hydrogen as the reducing agent and using electricity as the energy source, specifically through an electric arc furnace.
ReplyDeleteHydrogen plasma. Hydrogen gas, when subjected to high-energy electrons in an electric arc, splits into high-energy ions, entering a plasma state — the extremely hot and reactive fourth state of matter. It is distinct from solids, liquids, and gases. This hydrogen plasma rapidly reduces the metal oxides. From a thermodynamic perspective, the process is not only cleaner but significantly faster,
ReplyDelete“Traditional nickel extraction is multi-step, energy-intensive and relies on carbon. Nickel oxide is heated with carbon, which removes the oxygen, producing pure nickel, along with carbon dioxide emissions.” The researchers have proposed replacing carbon with hydrogen as the reducing agent and using electricity as the energy source, specifically through an electric arc furnace.
ReplyDelete“The end product of hydrogen reacting with oxygen is water, not carbon dioxide. Therefore, the entire process is carbon-free, using only electricity, hydrogen, and yielding water as a byproduct,
ReplyDelete