The Sabatier process involves the reaction of hydrogen with carbon dioxide at elevated temperatures and pressures in the presence of a nickel catalyst to produce methane and water. It is described by the following reaction: General Name, Symbol, Number Hydrogen, H, 1 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 1 (IA), 1 , s Density, Hardness 0. ... Carbon dioxide is an atmospheric gas composed of one carbon and two oxygen atoms. ... General Name, Symbol, Number nickel, Ni, 28 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 10 , 4, d Density, Hardness 8908 kg/m³, 4. ... A catalyst (Greek: καταλύτης, catalytis) is a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction, at some temperature, but without itself being transformed or consumed by the reaction (see also catalysis). ... The simplest hydrocarbon, methane, is a gas with a chemical formula of CH4. ...

CO₂ + 4H₂ → CH₄ + 2H₂O

Discovered by the French chemist Paul Sabatier. A chemist is a scientist who specializes in chemistry. ... Paul Sabatier was born at Carcassonne in southern France on November 5, 1854. ...

External link

• http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/mars/marssurf.html