Element 1 · Non-Metal
Hydrogen
The lightest, most abundant element in the universe — and the future of clean energy.
Element Facts
SYMBOL
H
ATOMIC NO.
1
ATOMIC WEIGHT
1.008
CATEGORY
Non-Metal
PERIOD
Period 1
GROUP
Group 1
Discovery & History
Hydrogen was first isolated in 1766 by Henry Cavendish, who called it “inflammable air”. Antoine Lavoisier named it hydrogen (from the Greek for “water-former”) in 1783. Used in early balloons and airships throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, most famously the Hindenburg (1937). The Haber-Bosch process (1909) harnessed hydrogen to fix atmospheric nitrogen for fertiliser production, transforming world agriculture.
Where It's Used
Hydrogen is primarily used in petroleum refining, ammonia production for fertilisers, and increasingly as a clean fuel in hydrogen vehicles and fuel cells. About 70 million tonnes are produced annually, almost entirely from natural gas (grey hydrogen). Green hydrogen, produced by electrolysis powered by renewable electricity, is a rapidly growing sector with targets set by the UK and EU.
Can You Sell It?
Why QuickStop Metals doesn’t buy Hydrogen:
Hydrogen is a gas — not a metal or solid material. There is no scrap market for gases. Hydrogen is produced industrially rather than recycled, and cannot be collected, stored, or traded in the way scrap metals are.
Price Guide
Industrial (grey) hydrogen trades at approximately £0.80–2.50/kg. Green hydrogen currently costs £3–6/kg and is falling as electrolysis capacity expands. Hydrogen is traded as an industrial commodity gas, not as a scrap material.