Researchers have developed a new reactor technology that can simultaneously turn methane into clean hydrogen fuel and valuable carbon nanotube (CNT) materials—an achievement long considered out of reach.
The team demonstrated a ‘multi-pass floating catalyst chemical vapour deposition (FCCVD) reactor’ that converts natural gas into ‘85% pure hydrogen’ while producing ‘CNT aerogel’, a lightweight and high-value carbon material. Unlike previous CNT production methods that required added hydrogen, the new system ‘recycles its carrier gas’, eliminating the need for external hydrogen input and dramatically improving efficiency.
As a result, the process delivers a ‘446-fold increase in molar efficiency’ compared with earlier approaches. The reactor successfully combines two processes that had previously only worked separately: methane pyrolysis for hydrogen and CNT synthesis.
Crucially, the researchers also showed that ‘biogas’—a renewable methane source—can be used instead of fossil natural gas. This opens the door to ‘net CO₂ sequestration’, since carbon from the atmosphere can be locked into solid CNT materials rather than released as emissions.
To assess real-world impact, the team extrapolated their findings to a ‘pilot-scale reactor’ using data from a commercial facility, identifying both challenges and opportunities for industrial scale-up.
The breakthrough could reshape how clean hydrogen and advanced carbon materials are produced—offering a more sustainable path for energy and manufacturing.
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Source https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/items/7e54c38f-e2a6-4412-8ba0-728206268184
