Urine helps produce green hydrogen

They are two unique, energetically efficient and profitable systems. They use the urea present in the urine or in the wastewater to generate hydrogen. Yes, urine helps produce green hydrogen. It is a source of sustainable, renewable and economic energy. Normally, hydrogen is generated by electrolysis to separate water into oxygen and hydrogen. It would help address the world energy crisis, but the process requires high energy consumption.

Urea of ​​urine

Researchers at the Center for Carbon Science and Innovation of the Australian Council developed new systems. They generate green hydrogen at a ninth cost. Hydrogen production from pure urea is not new. But they found a more accessible and profitable process that uses urine as an alternative source to pure urea.

«We need to reduce the cost of hydrogen production, but neutrally in carbon. We solved this using an ecological source of urea: human urine. It constitutes the basis of the system examined in our study, ”they explained.

Urine or urea can also come from wastewater with a high nitrogen content. However, urine in an electrocatalytic system presents another problem. Chloride ions in the urine trigger a reaction. It generates chlorine and causes irreversible corrosion of the system anode. There is oxidation and loss of electrons.

«In the first system, we develop a highly efficient urea electrolysis system to produce low cost hydrogen. In this second system, we develop a new oxidation mechanism. Use platinum -based catalysts on carbon supports. It can generate hydrogen from urine, ”they say.

Green at a lower cost

Urine helps produce green hydrogen, but platinum is a expensive, beautiful and finite metal. And its growing demand as catalytic material is unsustainable. That is why they hope to boost carbon catalysts transforming technologies for traditional energy and chemistry industries.

The team will be based on this fundamental research. They plan the construction of urine and wastewater treatment systems without membranes. They would achieve a recovery of green hydrogen at a lower cost and, at the same time, remedying the wastewater environment.