Transform Materials converts natural gas into hydrogen and acetylene
The world is awash in natural gas. At hydraulic fracking wellheads, natural gas is often flared instead of collected due to its low value — a colossal waste of a natural resource and a significant increase in harmful greenhouse gases. What if natural gas could easily be converted into useful components with immediate, high-value applications?
Transform Materials just announced its breakthrough technology that harnesses the power of energized plasma to convert methane, a simple and plentiful ingredient, into two chemical building blocks: hydrogen and acetylene. This technology replaces traditional chemical manufacturing and distribution with modern, clean, and energy-efficient alternatives.
For the past six years, this stealthy startup has been perfecting a compact, modular and multiplexed plasma reactor that produces high-purity hydrogen and acetylene. Having progressed from pilot to alpha stage, the technology is now ready for integration into the existing infrastructure of a wide range of downstream applications:
1. Transform Materials revolutionizes the way that hydrogen is produced and distributed by replacing current energy-intensive and polluting methods. This means fuel companies can locate hydrogen production where it's needed, opening the door wider for hydrogen fuel cells used in next-generation transportation—initially for the trucking sector.
2. Acetylene (C2H2), on the other hand, is used in a wide range of synthetic processes, including the manufacture of polyvinyl chloride and other essential chemicals and a wide range of specialty products: vitamins, fragrances, flavors, and more. Transform Materials replaces the the current inefficient and dirty approach with a clean and green process.
The company was founded by Dr. David Soane, a materials science expert with several pioneering technologies already under his belt, including CropCoat (crop protection), Nano-Tex (clothing), DuraFizz (soft drinks), and Cosmetica (personal care). Now, he's turning his attention to providing a green alternative to conventional technologies in the hydrogen economy and the petrochemical industry.
“Our process is clean and cost-effective, employs robust and off-the-shelf microwave hardware, and requires a relatively compact plant footprint. Also, our reactors can be multiplexed to scale up and meet incremental market demand. We are especially proud of our environmental stewardship—we essentially mop up methane and convert it into useful hydrogen fuel, at the same time locking up carbon in valuable end products.”
