Catalytic Decomposition of Hydrocarbons for Hydrogen Production

Abstract

The growing demand for hydrogen and the discovery of substantial methane reserves have led to a focus on converting methane to hydrogen. However, the high levels of CO2 emissions associated with traditional methane conversion (methane steam reforming) have raised concerns. As a result, researchers are looking for emission-free methods of producing hydrogen from methane with the aim of addressing these challenges. Methane catalytic cracking is an environmentally friendly route to produce hydrogen with zero greenhouse gas emissions. During this sustainable process, pure hydrogen is produced; however, it has not yet been industrialized due to the fact that it has not performed economically better than other processes such as methane steam reforming. However, the demand for pure hydrogen is rising every year, making methane cracking more attractive. Carbon black is also produced as a by-product, which is considered a valuable product that can be marketed to various industries. Although current hydrogen production processes including methane steam reforming, autothermal reforming, and partial oxidation have been developed and are well industrialized, the CO produced in these processes needs to be separated from the hydrogen stream, which is very complicated and expensive. To develop and modify methane cracking, different parameters involved in the process must be studied and improved, including catalysts, operating conditions, and suitable reactors. So in this study, different types of catalysts and their deactivation and regeneration are studied. It is also noteworthy that methane cracking kinetics, such as the reaction mechanism, the formation of carbon filaments, and the proposed models by researchers to predict the reaction rate have been presented. © 2025 selection and editorial matter, Mohammad Reza Rahimpour, Mohammad Amin Makarem and Parvin Kiani.