Background

The Haber-Bosch industrial process, which produces the majority of nitrogen fertilizers, requires high energy consumption and significantly contributes to carbon emissions. As a result, environmentally friendly and sustainable alternatives to the Haber-Bosch process are in high demand.

Technology Overview

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have developed a system that fixates nitrogen from air and water to produce nitrate-rich liquids using non-thermal plasma-assisted catalytic reactions. The resultant nitrate-rich liquid has the potential to be used as a nitrogen fertilizer for agricultural applications. This innovative system uses renewable resources in an on-demand manner, thereby significantly reducing carbon emissions from production and transportation.

Stage of Development

Technology Readiness Level (TRL): 3‑4.

This system has been demonstrated to produce a lab scale