Thermo-Catalytic Decomposition of Methane to Produce Low-Carbon Hydrogen and Solid Carbon

Abstract The study explores the use of thermo-catalytic decomposition (TCD) of methane to produce hydrogen (H2) and solid carbon. The research focuses on the performance of a proprietary molten metal catalyst in a TCD reactor, evaluating methane conversion efficiency and carbon quality under various operating conditions, including flow rates, pressure, and temperature. The results demonstrate that increasing the temperature from 920°C to 1030°C enhances methane conversion efficiency from 61% to 94%. Catalyst loss was minimal at 0.03%/day, primarily due to manual solid carbon removal. The study also found that higher pressure (from 1 to 12bar) increases H2 yield, from 69% to 85%. The solid carbon produced includes valuable forms such as cryptocrystalline graphite (CG). The TCD process shows an 80% reduction in CO2 intensity compared to traditional steam methane reforming (SMR). This novel approach, termed Turquoise hydrogen production, is economical, modular, and does not require clean water or precious metals, offering potential economic benefits through the sale of high-value carbon materials.