Pascal Mickelson of Arctura, Inc.

Plasma-Assisted Nitrogen Fixation (PANF) technologies use low-temperature plasma to fix atmospheric nitrogen using electricity and air, bypassing traditional fossil-fuel-reliant manufacturing networks. Synthetic nitrogen fertilizer manufactured by the century-old Haber-Bosch process demands large centralized facilities, intensive natural gas feedstocks, and extreme pressure & temperature to break down atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) molecules. In contrast, PANF offers a highly selective and distributed alternative using targeted energy and cleaner chemistry.

Instead of heating the entire gas stream, plasma generates electrons with high kinetic energy to break down N₂ molecules at ambient pressure and close to room temperature. Running on electricity rather than natural gas, PANF systems can be completely powered by renewable energy sources, eliminating direct carbon dioxide emissions. The process captures air and water to create a nitrate-rich liquid solution that can be directly applied to crops. Successful commercialization will allow farmers to generate their own green nitrogen fertilizers on-demand, insulating them from volatile global supply chain costs and reducing the agricultural carbon footprint. We will discuss the promise, the challenge, and the outlook for realizing commercial PANF systems

Biography:

Pascal Mickelson is an applied physicist who develops technologies to address the climate crisis and accelerate the energy transition. His professional objective is to transform innovative technologies into successful commercial products by leveraging more than a decade of experience in SBIR-funded R&D, technical leadership, and early-stage product strategy—especially within clean energy and green chemistry.

He currently leads an effort at Arctura, Inc. for distributed nitric acid production using low-temperature plasma. Pascal earned his Ph.D in Applied Physics from Rice University in 2010.

Address: 336 Columbia St., , South Kingstown, Rhode Island, United States, 02879