NOVELTY - Producing hydrogen and carbon from natural gas or methane using barrier discharge non-thermal plasma.    USE - For production of hydrogen and carbon by decomposing natural gas or methane for use in the manufacture of tires and in metallurgy.    ADVANTAGE - The method effectively decomposes methane into hydrogen and carbon. The apparatus has a high voltage electrical pulser which produces a state of plasma containing millions of minute electrical discharges which break the molecular bonds between hydrogen and carbon, thereby leading to dissociation of natural gas or methane.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - A natural gas or methane (32) is subjected to the action of barrier discharge non-thermal plasma so as to decompose the natural gas or methane directly into hydrogen and carbon components.    An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is included for apparatus (10) for producing hydrogen and carbon from natural gas or methane. The apparatus has    (1) an elongated gas-tight casing (12) having two concentric elongated electrodes, of which one is an internal electrode (14) mounted in the longitudinal center of the casing and the other electrode is an external electrode (16) mounted concentrically around the internal electrode;    (2) a concentric dielectric barrier (20) connected to the external electrode so as to form a gap (22) between the internal electrode and the barrier, the barrier and the gap are adapted to produce and maintain a barrier discharge non-thermal plasma within the gap suitable for decomposing the natural gas or methane into hydrogen and carbon;    (3) a unit for passing the natural gas or methane through the gap; and    (4) a high voltage pulser (26) connected to the electrodes for creating the barrier discharge non-thermal plasma within the gap.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure shows graphical elevation of apparatus for producing hydrogen and carbon.    Apparatus (10)    Casing (12)    Internal electrode (14)    External electrode (16)    Shaft (18)    Barrier (20)    Gap (22)    High voltage connection (24)    Pulser (26)    Inlet (30)    Natural gas or methane (32)    Flow rate regulator valve (34)    Concentric chamber (36)