RuKY Catalyst‐Packed Permeation Membrane for Quantitative Ammonia and d3‐Ammonia Dehydrogenation to Ultrapure Hydrogen

TL;DR

A new membrane reactor system efficiently converts ammonia into hydrogen and nitrogen with minimal emissions, making it suitable for clean energy applications.

Contribution

A catalytic membrane reactor achieves near-complete ammonia dehydrogenation with low emissions and no additional separation.

Findings

The reactor achieved <1 ppm ammonia in effluent at 450°C, exceeding the 99.6% conversion target for vehicle fuel.

The rate-limiting step is isotope independent, ensuring consistent reaction kinetics for ammonia and its isotopologues.

The system simplifies and miniaturizes ammonia cracking processes by eliminating the need for post-separation.

Abstract

Ammonia is a promising carbon‐free hydrogen carrier, but incomplete ammonia dehydrogenation (cracking) generates atmospheric emissions of NO
x
, a potent greenhouse gas. Additionally, incomplete cracking of ammonia leads to regulatory challenges in nuclear and fusion power, where tritiated ammonia (NT3) emissions are strictly controlled. Therefore, we report the use of low‐temperature ammonia dehydrogenation catalysts (3%Ru/1%Y/12%K/Al2O3) in a palladium alloy H2 permeation membrane for quantitative conversion of ammonia into hydrogen and nitrogen at industry‐relevant conditions. This catalytic membrane reactor system achieved an astonishing effluent concentration of <1 ppm at 450°C under a 100% NH3 stream, which is far beyond the 99.6% conversion target required for the adoption of ammonia as a vehicle fuel. The low‐temperature ammonia dehydrogenation catalyst was tested in a packed bed reactor with NH3 and ND3 to both elucidate the reaction mechanism and to quantify the kinetic isotope effect of the membrane reactor. The rate‐limiting step at temperatures relevant to the palladium membrane are isotope independent, indicating that the isotopologue content will not modify the desired reaction kinetics. By reducing emissions to below‐trace levels with no additional separation, this work provides a path to greatly simplified and miniaturized ammonia cracking processes.

The removal of ammonia in gas effluent streams is an important, albeit energy intensive, step in a variety of industrial applications. However, a palladium‐silver permeation membrane reactor greatly increases the performance of the system, allowing for near quantitative conversion of ammonia into nitrogen and hydrogen.© 2026 WILEY‐VCH GmbH

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