New Reactor Produces Purified Water and Green Ammonia

Rice University engineers have introduced a novel reactor system that simultaneously addresses two pressing environmental concerns: ammonia production and water pollution.

In a published study in Nature Catalysis, the team led by Associate Professor Haotian Wang designed a reactor that produces ammonia from nitrates, which are prevalent in industrial wastewater and agricultural runoff. During this process, it also purifies contaminated water.

Feng-Yang Chen, the lead author of the study, shared insights into their research:

“We conducted experiments where we flowed nitrate-contaminated water through this reactor and measured the amount of ammonia produced and the purity of the treated water. We discovered that our novel reactor system could turn nitrate-contaminated water into pure ammonia and clean water very efficiently, without the need for extra chemicals.”

The reactor system trades high concentrations of supporting electrolytes for a porous solid electrolyte. This move allows for a sustainable nitrate-to-ammonia conversion, which previously proved challenging. The use of renewable energy also makes ammonia production carbon-neutral.

With the new reactor system, the team makes denitrification in wastewater plants unnecessary and offers a cleaner alternative to the energy-intensive Haber-Bosch process. Moreover, by using renewable energy, the system cuts the carbon emissions associated with large-scale ammonia production.

Read the full article here to learn more about the new reactor that produces purified water and green ammonia.

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