The Ni-based Catalysts for Low-Temperature Ammonia Decompositions

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, an oil-rich country, is moving toward decarbonizing its energy sector by diversifying fossil fuels with a hydrogen economy. This is because hydrog...gen is the simplest and most plentiful element in the universe and can be unutilized to generate electricity and run engines without emitting COx and NOx. Additionally, the enthalpy of combustion is 142 MJkg-1 which is much greater than most other fuels. But continuous delivery of hydrogen as fuel via, for example, pipelines, cylinders etc., is not practical or possible because of its volatility, low volumetric energy density, and metal embrittlement. Therefore, it has to be stored and then generated at the point of use. Amongst the many storage techniques, ammonia as hydrogen storage has greater potential because of its centuries-old well-established method of converting hydrogen into ammonia, high energy content, narrow explosion limit, and comparatively easier and almost quantitative regeneration of hydrogen from ammonia without the use of steam or oxygen. However, the disadvantage in getting the back hydrogen from ammonia is the higher cost of the catalyst and operating temperature. Most of the catalyst used today in the industry is based on noble metal and operate at >700 ⁰C. Therefore, developing non-noble metal-based catalysts operating at a lower temperature is desirable. Hence, this project focuses on developing a Ni-based catalyst supported by solid support for the ammonia decomposition reaction. In this project, three critical areas for integrating active materials in developing low-cost (non-noble metal), environmentally friendly, and low-operating temperature catalysts will be attempted to address. The work includes the development of (i)new synthetic methods for highly robust, surface-functionalized Ni-based green catalysts; (ii) design and setting up catalyst testing facility for ammonia cracking, and iii) ammonia decomposition to hydrogen