How is Hydrogen Made? |
(15).gif) Producing the hydrogen gas needed for industry presents a challenge for industrial gases companies. Hydrogen is a major constituent of the stars, and is the third most abundant element on Earth where it is concentrated in water and hydrocarbons. But unlike nitrogen and oxygen the other mainstay gases used in industry hydrogen is only present in small amounts in air. So instead of extracting hydrogen from air, industrial gases companies like BOC use a number of manufacturing methods. As a gas company we know a lot about using hydrogen for the petrochemical industries and we are gaining a lot of experience using hydrogen for fuel cells. The traditional uses for hydrogen are for the synthesis of chemical raw materials (e.g. production of ammonia, ethylene and methanol).
.jpg) In the petrochemical industries, hydrogen is sometimes produced as a by-product (e.g. through chlorine-alkaline electrolysis for production of chlorine). A second and more important hydrogen producer and consumer is the processing of fuels in refineries (e.g. hydrogen production during thermocracking, hydrogen consumption for desulphurization and hydrogenation of fuels).
As a result of this situation, several large-scale processes have been developed for the production of hydrogen from fossil fuels and from water. These processes are generically called steam reforming. The feed stock is generally of natural gas or the partial oxidation of hydrogen from heavy fuel oil or coal. Hydrogen can also be made as a secondary energy carrier from chlorine-alkaline electrolysis or the low pressure electrolysis of water. Along with this, the related systems of hydrogen transport, storage and distribution have been built up. These systems include pressurised gas pipelines, tube trailers, liquid hydrogen or cylinders. Traditionally cracked ammonia has been used as a source for low purity hydrogen gas in small quantities. But this is now changing. Stimulated by environmental concerns and faced with tighter controls on its storage.
BOC is one of the world’s largest industrial gas suppliers and operate more than 100 hydrogen plants world-wide. Choosing BOC as your hydrogen supplier ensures you receive a reliable and cost-effective gas supply.
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