How is hydrogen produced from steam and hydrocarbons?

The most significant industrial method for producing hydrogen from hydrocarbons is the catalytic steam-hydrocarbon process. In this endothermic process, gaseous or vaporized hydrocarbons are treated with steam at high pressure (650°–950° C) over a nickel catalyst to yield carbon oxides and hydrogen.1

Other methods include:

• Noncatalytic partial oxidation: Hydrocarbons are reacted with oxygen under elevated pressure. Unlike the steam-hydrocarbon process, this method is exothermic.1
• Pressure catalytic partial oxidation: This combines the previous two methods. Hydrocarbons and steam are mixed with heated oxygen, which reacts with the hydrocarbons before the mixture passes through a nickel catalyst bed to reach equilibrium.1

These processes generate a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide known as syngas, which is essential for manufacturing ammonia and other industrial chemicals.12