How Is Hydrogen Made?

Chemicals

There are several types of hydrocarbon fossil fuels that hydrogen is chemically extracted from, including coal. Coal is distilled, creating coal gas, a mixture of methane and hydrogen.
Some metals can also be used to produce hydrogen, including aluminum and aluminum alloys. Combined with sodium hydroxide, these produce hydrogen gas when they react in water.

Electrolysis

Electrolysis is a chemical separation process in which electricity is sent through water, resulting in the separation of the hydrogen and oxygen in the water. The electricity flows from one submerged electrode to another. There is also electrolysis involving compression. The original concept of electrolysis was developed in 1820 by Michael Faraday.

Thermolysis

Thermolysis is a process that decomposes (breaks apart) a substance with heat. High-temperature steam reacts with methane to produce hydrogen as one of the byproducts.

Thermochemistry

In thermochemical extractions of hydrogen, heat and chemical processes are used to obtain hydrogen.

Algae and Bacteria

When certain types of algae are not provided with sulfur, they alter their normal oxygen production, creating hydrogen instead.
Bacteria are also used that turn hydrocarbons into carbon dioxide and hydrogen.

Sound

A patent for the use of sound to split water was issued to Dr. Andrija Puharich in 1983. Using an electrical wave that resonated with molecules of water, he split the oxygen and hydrogen in the molecules. This is the same concept that causes a crystal glass to shatter when a sound matches the vibration of the molecules in the glass.

Resources

• U.S. Department of Energy on Hydrogen