Hydrogen natural conversion/generation

Synthesis Gas Chemicals. Hydrocarbons are used to generate synthesis gas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, for conversion to other chemicals. The primary chemical made from synthesis gas is methanol, though acetic acid and acetic anhydride are also made by this route. Carbon monoxide (qv) is produced by partial oxidation of hydrocarbons or by the catalytic steam reforming of natural gas. About 96% of synthesis gas is made by steam reforming, followed by the water gas shift reaction to give the desired H2 /CO ratio. 

The sweet syngas exiting the AGR consists primarily of high pressure hydrogen, which is purified (to -99.999%) in a PSA unit the low pressure off-gas is used to generate additional steam in a boiler. The coal-to-hydrogen LHV conversion effidency (defined in analogy with the natural gas case) of the process in Fig. 10.3 is approximately 55-60%. 

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