The hydrogen colour spectrum (2024)

FAQs

What is the spectrum of hydrogen colors? ›

Green hydrogen, blue hydrogen, brown hydrogen and even yellow hydrogen, turquoise hydrogen and pink hydrogen. They're essentially colour codes, or nicknames, used within the energy industry to differentiate between the types of hydrogen.

Hydrogen itself is has no colour. The colourless gas is an efficient, climate-neutral energy source for heating, as it has a much higher thermal value than, for example, fuel oil or natural gas, and its combustion does not produce any substances that are harmful to the environment or the climate.

Blue hydrogen, or hydrogen produced with fossil fuels but subject to carbon capture, costs $1.8-$4.7 per kilogram. And green hydrogen, which is produced by running an electric charge through water, costs a whopping $4.5-$12 per kilo.

While green hydrogen is the most sustainable source of hydrogen, the production process is currently more expensive than grey or blue hydrogen. It also requires significant investment in renewable energy infrastructure, such as solar or wind farms, to produce the necessary electricity.

But not all hydrogen is created the same. Although the gas only emits water when burned, its contribution to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 depends on how it is produced. This video looks at the three different types of hydrogen – gray, blue and green – and examines their environmental credentials.

The light emitted by hydrogen atoms is red because, of its four characteristic lines, the most intense line in its spectrum is in the red portion of the visible spectrum, at 656 nm.

Oxygen (or air) and an ignition source are required for combustion to occur. Hydrogen burns with a pale blue flame that is nearly invisible in daylight. The flame may appear yellow if there are impurities in the air like dust or sodium. A pure hydrogen flame will not produce smoke.

Whilst Hydrogen itself is a colourless gas, a colour name is often attributed to it to denote how that hydrogen is produced. Hydrogen occurs naturally in nature, but it is quite rare and is sometimes known as white hydrogen.

Different production methods render colorful classifications of hydrogen, including gray, blue, green, pink, and black/brown hydrogen. Grey hydrogen is the most common and cheapest form of hydrogen.

Based on this data, the authors project that the lifecycle cost of clean hydrogen production will likely fall to the range of $1.60-1.90 per kilogram by 2030 from $3-5 today.

Is hydrogen cheap or expensive? ›

In the USA, hydrogen costs around US$16 per kilogram. Currently, renewable hydrogen produced via electrolysis costs between US$3 – US$6/kg, though analysts expect this figure to drop significantly over the next decade.

Is it cost-prohibitive for potential everyday drivers or industrial users?” The short answer is, “No, at least not long term.” While hydrogen may be slightly more costly than other fuel sources today, experts predict that those prices will drop dramatically in the coming years.

Hydrogen used in the fuel cells is a very flammable gas and can cause fires and explosions if it is not handled properly. Hydrogen is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas.

In its normal gaseous state, hydrogen is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and is nontoxic which makes it different from every other common fuel we use. By comparison, all petroleum fuels are asphyxiants, and are poisonous to humans. No odorant is added to Hydrogen fuel.

Brown coal (lignite) is used to make brown hydrogen. Nuclear power is used to make pink hydrogen. Solar power or a mix of energy sources from the electrical grid are used to make yellow hydrogen. Methane pyrolysis is used to make turquoise hydrogen.

Balmer lines are historically referred to as "H-alpha", "H-beta", "H-gamma" and so on, where H is the element hydrogen. Four of the Balmer lines are in the technically "visible" part of the spectrum, with wavelengths longer than 400 nm and shorter than 700 nm.

The electron in a hydrogen atom absorbs energy and gets excited. The electron jumps from a lower energy level to a higher energy level and when it comes back to its original state, it gives out energy which forms a hydrogen spectrum.

This release of energy is accompanied by emission of light with characteristic wavelength that is unique to Hydrogen. The 4 lines that can be seen in the Hydrogen emission spectrum implies that it can only absorb radiation with certain energy.