Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the Universe. It is present on Earth in great quantities combined with other elements. Therefore, it must be extracted from these elements to obtain hydrogen gas, which has many practical applications.
The hydrogen molecule (H2), which is sometimes called “dihydrogen”, is the oldest and simplest molecule in our Universe. It is made up of two hydrogen atoms, which are the first two elements to have been formed more than 13 billion years ago.
Hydrogen is found in great quantities on Earth combined with other elements, such as in water and hydrocarbons, but it is barely present in our atmosphere, which contains just 0.00005%. This is why, to obtain hydrogen in the gaseous form, it must be produced through extraction from the molecules that contain it and it must be stored.
For many years, hydrogen has been used for multiple industrial applications in very diverse sectors of activity. It is mainly used to make fuel cleaner by eliminating the sulfur that is naturally found in crude oil. When hydrogen is combined with a fuel cell, it is also a source of sustainable energy, a field that is developing rapidly.
Some key figures about Hydrogen
