Energy

Production from fossil sources

The technologies for the production of hydrogen from fossil fuels are mature and widely used, even though they should be improved from an economic, energetic and environmental point of view.
These processes are bases on the production of hydrogen through different refining stages and fractioning of hydrocarbon molecules until the complete elimination of carbon is obtained.
In this way a huge quantity of hydrogen is currently produced, for example all the hydrogen consumed by the chemical sector to produce synthesis fertilizers and by the metallurgic sector, for steel production.

From oil and methane
To extract hydrogen from oil or methane water steam is used at a temperature of 800°C along with a material that speeds up the process (catalyst): carbon oxidizes, hydrogen is freed from the molecule and carbon dioxide (CO2) is released. Through this operation, called reforming, impure hydrogen is obtained, i.e. it is mixed with another gas, carbon monoxide. To obtain pure hydrogen also this gas needs to be eliminated. This procedure is technically well experimented and is carried out at industrial level with large reactors, with a capacity of 100,000 cubic metres per hour.
Another system to produce hydrogen is cracking, which consists of breaking the methane molecule through thermal systems. This system does not produce carbon monoxide but coal and it is not among the most efficient systems. 

From coal
To obtain hydrogen from coal a procedure called gasification is carried out: coal is made to react with water steam at 900°C, and then at 500°C with another catalysing compound. The resulting gas, formed of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, was once used as city gas. In the United States, over the last few years efforts have been made to carry out this operation directly in the mines, where waste could be confined, thus preventing the pollution of other areas.