Recycled silicon from solar panels power low-cost, pure hydrogen production

South Korean researchers have developed a breakthrough process that produces 100% pure hydrogen from ammonia at just 122°F, dramatically lower than conventional methods requiring 400-600°F. The technique uses recycled silicon from discarded solar panels in a ball mill process, where mechanical action activates the silicon to decompose ammonia while automatically removing nitrogen byproducts as solid silicon nitride. This innovation addresses both hydrogen purification challenges and solar panel waste, which could reach 80 million tons by 2050.