Researchers have developed a method to produce ammonia starting only with air and water.
Not only is it more energy efficient than the century-old Haber-Bosch process that’s currently in use, but it’s also greener.
Without the ready availability of this chemical, it is estimated that as many as a third of us won't be alive.
This is because its main use is in fertilizer production, which has helped improve crop yields and sustain a large population.
...Licht's method claims to use only two-thirds of the energy of the Haber-Bosch process.
Along with the elimination of the need to produce hydrogen from natural gas, the overall carbon emissions are reduced quite significantly.
The whole process also takes place at milder conditions (Haber-Bosch needs 450°C and 200-times atmospheric pressure).
....And yet, if something more efficient can replace the Haber-Bosch process, it would lower the energy input of the production of one of the world's most important chemicals and lead to a notable reduction in global CO2 emissions.
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