No-Mix Toilets Provide Urine for Energy
Hydrogen is under active
consideration as a replacement for gasoline in motor vehicles. As it
turns out, urine is not only the world's most abundant waste product,
it also is a good source of hydrogen.
Geradine Botte, a researcher at Ohio University, has developed a
catalyst that efficiently extracts hydrogen fuel from urea...err,
urine. Compared with the 1.23 volts required to split two hydrogen
atoms from H2O, only 0.37 volts is needed to remove the four hydrogen
atoms from a urea molecule. One third the voltage, twice the hydrogen!
Will this lead to everyone placing a container of urine at the curb on
garbage / recycle day? Time will tell.