Sumitomo Chemical and Chemical Microwave began working together on a technique for producing hydrogen by pyrolyzing methane in microwave ovens in the early 2030s, with a production capacity of tens of thousands of tons per year.
Turquoise hydrogen is hydrogen created by the pyrolysis of methane, a greenhouse gas (GHG). One of the benefits of this pyrolysis process is that it produces useful solid carbons like carbon black and carbon nanotubes at the same time. On the other hand, the methane pyrolysis reaction necessitates a significant amount of heat, making energy efficiency a key issue.
Microwave ovens, which are a form of electromagnetic wave, may heat items in a reactor directly and selectively from the inside by spinning their molecules and atoms. When compared to alternative techniques that heat things in the reactor indirectly from the outside, microwave-assisted pyrolysis offers a better potential to minimize the energy required to create hydrogen while also lowering CO2 emissions and increasing scalability for commercial production. By merging Sumitomo Chemical’s catalyst and chemical design knowledge with Microwave Chemical’s microwave platform technology, this cooperative effort intends to establish an energy-efficient and highly efficient hydrogen generation method by 2026. Microwave Chemical has already begun laboratory tests with two companies.
Sumitomo Chemical is committed to reducing GHG emissions from the Group to almost zero and ensuring carbon neutrality throughout society through the products and technology group, using technology and experience gained as a diversified chemical company, as announced in December 2021 with its grand plan for carbon neutrality in 2050. Sumitomo Chemical will continue to increase its research and development efforts by collaborating with academics and start-up enterprises to use foreign technology.
Microwave Chemical touts their “C NEUTRALT Design 2050” concept, which combines electrification with renewable energy and microwave processes to achieve carbon neutrality and cut CO2 emissions by more than 90% compared to current fossil-fuel processes. Microwave Chemical is a pioneer in the effort to replace traditional petrochemical processes, which emit enormous volumes of CO2 and consume a lot of energy, with microwave processes.
