Synthesis Gas Past and Future

Common names for mixtures of CO/H2 are derived from their origin such as water gas (CO + H20) from steam gasification of coal and crack gas (CO + 3H ) from the steam reforming of methane, or from their application such as methanol synthesis gas (CO + 2H2) for the manufacture of methanol and oxo gas (CO + H2) for hydroformylation reactions. Another synthesis gas is ammonia synthesis gas (N2 + 3H2) which does not contain CO as a higher constituent. 

Initially, the manufacture of synthesis gas was carried out by gasifying coke from coal at low temperatures with air and steam. Coal gasification dates back to and continued throughout the 1800s when it was used for heating and lighting in both industry and private sectors. By 1930, there were over 

000 coal gasifiers in the United States. However, the inefficient processes were replaced in the 1940s by oil and gas. Oil and natural gas became commonly employed as a synthesis gas feedstock due to their ease of handling and high hydrogen content (H C for coal 1 1, 2 1 for oil, and 4 1 for methane-rich natural gas). 

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