Preparation, Properties and Uses of Hydrogen

Introduction

Hydrogen is the lightest element in the periodic table with an atomic number of 1 and is represented by H. It is one of the most abundant elements present in the universe, with an average atomic mass of 1.008 amu. It is present as a diatomic molecule and is represented as H2. One of the most predominant uses of hydrogen is fuel production, and it helps in converting heavy petroleum fractions into lighter fractions used for internal combustion engines. It is largely used even as fuel cells for the generation of electricity. Hydrogen gas was discovered in the year 1766 by Henry Cavendish.

Atomic structure and occurrence of hydrogen 

Hydrogen occurs in the free state on the sun, stars, and volcanic gases on Earth. Hydrogen is present in the combined state in the atmosphere, and it is an integral part of all the animal and vegetable matter. All the acids, alkalis, natural gas, petroleum etc., have combined hydrogen. The atomic number of hydrogen is 1, which shows that only one electron revolves around the atom’s nucleus. Inside the atom’s nucleus, it has only one proton and no neutron.

Preparation of Hydrogen

Hydrogen is prepared in various ways, and hydrogen is also based on how it is prepared and serves its purpose and function. There are three methods of preparation of the hydrogen.

• Electrolysis of water – This process is used to produce hydrogen on a large scale. In this process, electric current is passed through water, leading to hydrogen at the cathode and oxygen at the anode. The equation for the process is: 

            2H2O → 2H2 + O2

• Combustion of hydrocarbons

One of the most common uses of hydrogen is as combustion fuel. Hydrogen is   produced commercially with the combustion of hydrocarbons like methane, kerosene, petrol etc.

The equations for the combustion of methane and petrol are given below:

 CH4 → 2H2 + CO2

 C12H26 → 4H2 + 13CO2

•  Active Metals

One of the common methods of preparing hydrogen is the reaction of the metals with dilute hydrochloric acid or dilute sulphuric acid. This leads to the liberation of hydrogen gas. Many active metals like magnesium, iron, zinc, etc., produce hydrogen gases by diluting them with hydrochloric acid or diluting sulphuric acid.

• The industrial process of preparation

The industrial process for hydrogen production is called Bosch’s process. This is done in bulk for suiting the industrial uses of hydrogen. In this process, steam is passed over red hot-coke at a high temperature of around 1000°C. As a result, it produces carbon monoxide and hydrogen, and the reaction is endothermic.

 C + H2O → CO + H2

Properties of hydrogen

Hydrogen is the simplest element but abundantly present everywhere. This section will be about the properties of hydrogen.

Here are the properties of hydrogen

• It is a colourless, odourless, and tasteless gas
• It is a light gas and is known to be lighter than air. It has less density than air, and the density of hydrogen gas is 0.08988 g/L
• It is highly flammable, soluble in nature, and a combustible gas
• It is present in all the molecules and bonded with carbon and atoms in living things
• It is considered as the energy carrier as it stores energy created elsewhere.

Application and uses of hydrogen 

The common two uses of hydrogen are its use as fuel and in the hydrogenation process. Apart from these major uses, it is used for various applications.

• It is used as fuel in the internal combustion engine, and liquid hydrogen is used as rocket propellant. Hydrogen is considered a step towards clean energy as it produces pollution-free fuel upon combustion.
• Hydrogen is used for the hydrogenation of vegetable oil. The process is used to convert unsaturated fats and oils to saturated fats and oils.
• One of the uses of hydrogen is in manufacturing chemicals like methanol, urea, hydrochloric acid etc. 
• It is employed in the semiconductor industries to saturate broken bonds of amorphous carbon and silicon. 
• It is used as a reducing agent and helps reduce reactive metals like copper, tin etc., from their oxides. 

Conclusion

In summary, the articles give information on hydrogen, how it is prepared, its uses of hydrogen, and its applications across various industries and purposes. Hydrogen has an atomic number of 1 and is the simplest, lightest element in the periodic table. Hydrogen is used for producing clean energy, and its combustion does not cause pollution. Hydrogen is the lightest element, and nearly 90% of the atoms in the universe and both living and nonliving things consist of hydrogen atoms. The article concludes with various properties and uses of hydrogen.