New Device Produces Ammonia from Air

Researchers at Stanford University and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia have developed a prototype device that can produce ammonia using wind energy to draw air through a mesh.

The approach is an alternative to the traditional method that produces ammonia by combining nitrogen and hydrogen at high pressures and temperatures. This existing method consumes 2% of global energy and contributes 1% of annual carbon dioxide emissions from its reliance on natural gas.

The study, published in Science Advances, involved the first on-site demonstration of the technology.

The Stanford team’s process makes ammonia cleanly and inexpensively and utilizes the surrounding air to get nitrogen and hydrogen from water vapor. By passing air through a mesh coated with catalysts to facilitate the necessary reaction, the researchers produced enough ammonia with a sufficiently high concentration to serve as a hydroponic fertilizer in greenhouse settings.

Unlike traditional methods, the new technique operates at room temperature and standard atmospheric pressure, requiring no external voltage source to be attached to the mesh.

The researchers believe that the innovation positions ammonia as a linchpin in decarbonizing industries like shipping and power generation.