By Rajat Bhardwaj, Research Scientist TNO

Via molten metal pyrolysis Hydrogen is produced without CO2 emissions. Carbon is produced instead of CO2. This carbon can be sold as product for applications such as tires, pigments in polymers, rubbers and energetic electrode materials.
The technology is at least 25 % more cost effective compared to other ways of producing H2 without CO2 emission. The molten metal acts as catalyst, which lowers the operating temperature of the process to about 1000 °C. This temperature is considerably lower than the temperature in blast furnaces in the steel industry that operate at about 1600 °C. Most components of the molten metal pyrolysis technology can be based on existing large-scale technologies, e.g. high temperature molten metal processing at steel manufacturing, hydrogen separation and transport at Hydrogen Reformers, carbon handling and storage of carbon black production.

The key gap remaining in the implementation of the technology is the carbon separation. Molten salts are used to create a separation layer using density differences. TNO (Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek) has an Intellectual Property position on this.
TNO has experience in gas treatment for more than 30 years. This experience and recent work with molten metals and salts resulted in developing this new technology. The next step is to take this technology towards a commercial demonstration project in the coming three to five years. By 2021, a first continuous process is envisaged. TNO has established collaboration with companies and universities seeking to strengthen the vision further.

Presentation file here

Development schedule here