Dive Brief:

• Brazilian researchers are experimenting with a new process that may facilitate the conversion of methane gas from landfills into hydrogen, a clean energy. 
• Unlike other fossil fuels that release carbon dioxide when burned, hydrogen releases water vapor when it is heated. 
• The development of this innovative technique has the potential to produce energy for houses and businesses. 

Dive Insight:

Researchers still need to knock down a few barriers before the process can be used on a large scale at landfill sites. The main problem is that converting methane and carbon dioxide into hydrogen and carbon monoxide causes carbon to latch onto the catalyst as a contaminant, thereby disrupting the conversion process.

To tackle this issue, the researchers, led by Dr. Fabio Noronha, have created a new catalyst that takes the contaminant carbon out of the equation as soon as it is produced. Although experiments with the catalyst are currently confined to laboratory settings, the research team plans on taking the conversion process to an actual Brazilian landfill in the near future.