Scientists just discovered a faster, cheaper way to make fuel — and it's unlike anything we've seen before
The same microwave science that heats up your leftovers for lunch can be leveraged to create a cleaner hydrogen energy source if lab work at South Korea's Pohang University of Science and Technology comes to fruition.
The team's progress was detailed in a study published by ScienceDaily. The key, per the researchers, is that microwaves can drive chemical reactions in addition to warming yesterday's lasagna.
The research will "pave the way for the development of new materials optimized for microwave-driven chemical processes," professor Hyungyu Jin said in the report, per ScienceDaily.
For hydrogen, it means a cleaner way to produce a fuel that generates no heat-trapping air pollution. It emits only heat and water as a byproduct when used in a fuel cell, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
But most commercial hydrogen in the U.S. is made with a process that uses fossil fuels. Electrolysis is a cleaner option that uses electricity to separate hydrogen from water, ideally using power from renewable sources, per the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The Pohang experts said that energy-hungry temperatures of around 2,732 degrees Fahrenheit are needed for thermochemical methods. Microwaves can cut the heat requirement by 60%. What's more, microwaves create "oxygen vacancies" in the material crucial for splitting hydrogen from water in only minutes, compared to hours with other methods, according to the study summary.
Hydrogen's potential is great, already powering cranes, boats, and garbage trucks. Hydrogen can also be combusted to make energy. Powering a turbine is an example. But burning the gas results in nitrogen oxide emissions, which is a harmful fume, according to environmental watchdog Sierra Club. The Environmental Protection Agency reported that the "high" amounts of the vapor can irritate human lungs.
An ideal model is for hydrogen to be made with a fossil fuel-free process and used in a fuel cell. This scenario would eliminate harmful gases, importantly planet-warming ones linked by NASA to greater risks of severe weather, including wildfires. High fuel cell cost is another challenge reported by the DOE.
As for making the gas, Pohang's team has the temperature requirement for hydrogen production down to around 1,112 degrees thanks to efficient chemical reactions driven by microwaves. The findings were verified through thermodynamic modeling, according to the report.
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"Introducing a new mechanism powered by microwaves and overcoming the limitations of existing processes are major achievements," professor Gunsu S. Yun, team lead, said in the summary.
Hydrogen innovations are happening stateside too. A team from the University of Illinois Chicago is developing a way to make the gas using sunlight and biowaste.
And an even cleaner option is readily available: your own two feet. Simply replacing a two-mile drive with a walk each day can cut 600 pounds of harmful air pollution a year. Strolling to the local restaurant to get your next takeout order is a great way to start. You will also realize some big cardio benefits, per Harvard Health Publishing.
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