Methods for preparing hydrogen and solid carbon from a gaseous hydrocarbon source using microwaves and/or radio waves

A method for preparing hydrogen and solid carbon, the method comprising:

• a) providing a reaction vessel so that the reaction vessel has 0 wt % water and 0 wt % molecular oxygen inside the reaction vessel;
• b) providing a feedstock comprising gaseous hydrocarbons to the reaction vessel, the reaction vessel having a starting solid carbon, 0 wt % water and 0 wt % molecular oxygen inside the reaction vessel, and the starting solid carbon being operable to heat the feedstock comprising gaseous hydrocarbons;
• c) exposing the starting solid carbon in the reaction vessel to radio waves until the starting solid carbon is at a temperature of at least 1200 Kelvin, wherein the starting solid carbon is the primary radio wave susceptor;
• d) breaking carbon-hydrogen bonds of the gaseous hydrocarbons of the feedstock by heat transfer between the starting solid carbon and the gaseous hydrocarbons, thereby forming hydrogen and a prepared solid carbon in the reaction vessel;
• and
• e) separating the hydrogen and the prepared solid carbon,
• wherein the reaction vessel is radio wave-inert;
• and
• wherein the method is conducted in a single-reactor system, wherein the single reactor is the reaction vessel.