Hydrogen density

The density of hydrogen is 0.0899 kg/m³. Hydrogen is the first and lightest of the elements in the periodic table. Hydrogen is often a flammable, odorless and colorless gas. It is also the most abundant chemical element because it represents 75% of the visible matter in the universe. At the industrial level, hydrogen is used to improve the quality of fossil fuels, to use it for the development of ammonia.

What uses can hydrogen have?

as fuel

Hydrogen can work as a green fuel because it does not produce greenhouse gases. It has already been used in various space projects, as fuel for rocket propulsion. Currently, a less expensive way to extract hydrogen in bulk is being sought in order to commercialize its use in automobiles.

Since 1980, countries like Japan, Canada, the United States and some other member countries of the European Union have supported the research and development of this technology. Therefore, there are several companies in the world today that are marketing fuel cells made with hydrogen as the main component.

as a source of energy

Once the hydrogen and its uses have been extracted, it becomes an energy carrier and the energy it produces can be stored and released, generating large amounts of electricity. On the other hand, hydrogen can also be burned to run an engine that generates energy.

Regardless of how the energy is generated, we can be confident that hydrogen is an attractive proposition. Since it can be extracted from water, it would become an environmentally friendly and viable source of energy for a sustainable future.

How to get hydrogen?

For it to be possible to use hydrogen in so many different ways, it must first be extracted from the compounds in which it is found, be it water, certain fossil fuels or even organic material.

Electrolysis

This process breaks down water into hydrogen and oxygen. To carry out this reaction, it is necessary to have an electric power supply, since the passage of electric current causes the division of water. In this way, hydrogen is formed at the cathode and oxygen at the anode.

biomass

• Biomass is matter that comes from living things and is abundant in hydrogenated compounds. Through chemical treatments and processes, biomass can be converted into a gas, called biogas, and the biogas can in turn be converted into hydrogen.
• There are other processes, where liquid biofuels can be obtained from biomass which can also be used to produce more transportable hydrogen.

Fossil fuels

Fossil fuels contain hydrogen in their composition. To obtain it in gaseous form, it would be necessary to react water, using a catalyst to make it react more easily. This process is known as steam reforming and, like electrolysis, an energy input will also be required, since it is an endothermic process in which the extraction of hydrogen and carbon monoxide would be obtained.