CANBERRA, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Researchers in Australia have developed an electrochemical strategy to convert urea into hydrazine, a chemical used in pharmaceuticals, rocket fuels, as well as emerging energy systems and electric vehicle batteries.
The strategy uses electricity and sodium chloride to convert urea into hydrazine, offering a potential alternative to conventional production methods that rely on hazardous chemicals and consume large amounts of energy, making them costly and environmentally challenging, according to a statement released Tuesday by Australia's Adelaide University.
The method could offer greener, more economical hydrazine production and a potential fuel source for fuel cells and long-duration space missions, said Wang Pengtang of Adelaide University, lead author of the study published in Nature Synthesis.
Using this strategy, researchers achieved high-yield hydrazine production and demonstrated its versatility across different urea sources, including pure urea, urea-rich wastewater and human urine.
However, practical engineering challenges and associated cost bottlenecks remain, including salt accumulation, energy consumption during product isolation, costs and continuous system operation, Wang said.
Future research will focus on reducing costs, simplifying product separation and developing more practical reactor designs, Wang said, adding this technology could "provide a sustainable alternative route for hydrazine manufacturing powered by renewable electricity." ■