Investigation of Plasma-Based Nitrogen Fixation Using Water in Nitrogen Arc Discharge for Ammonia Production
The growing demand for fossil-free energy has prompted extensive research into new, clean, and sustainable methods of meeting global energy needs. One promising approach is the production of green, sustainable fuels such as ammonia from base molecules like water and nitrogen using renewable electricity. Non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma-based NH3 synthesis has been shown to have significant potential for the production of carbon-free fertilizer using renewable electricity. In this study, we developed an atmospheric pressure rotating gliding arc discharge reactor in conjunction with a catalyst to achieve a higher ammonia production rate. Our research involved a two-step ammonia production process, including the facile production of NOx and hydrogen from nitrogen discharge in water and the highly selective catalytic reduction of NOx to ammonia in the presence of hydrogen. The plasma technique we studied yielded an ammonia concentration of approximately 0.84% with a selectivity of 95% and a production rate of 120 µmol/s, by integrating a catalytic reduction system with plasma. These results are notable as they represent a 300-400-fold increase in ammonia yield compared to previous studies on ammonia synthesis from nitrogen. These promising findings represent a significant advancement in the transition towards sustainable and environmentally friendly ammonia production.