A NEW PROCESS

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 32, 7 August 1923, Page 4

A NEW PROCESS

ELIMINATING POISON FROM GAS

AN INTERESTING SUBJECT

Messrs. Tully Gas Plants, Limited, invited the Press recently to visit the Bedford Gas Works to inspect a Tully total gasilieatiori plant and also to have explained to them a new process which has been invented by Mr. Tully in collaboration with Dr. Rauques, ■of Liverpool, and Mr. ,T. IT. West, of.London, for eliminating the poisonous . carbon monoxide nominally present, in coal was but particularly in water gas. producer gas, and other gaseous products obtained by the action of steam on red-hot fuel.

The visit was.somewhat of a disappointment, declares the "Manchester Guardian," because, in the first, place. this new process is not installed at Bedford, and, secondly, the details are not very clear. However, as far as can be made out the process consists in passing the gas over a heated catalyst, the composition of which is not divulged, but oxides of iron in a peculiar mechanical condition. This in the presence of the moisture always present converts the carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide and hydrogen.

: The figures supplied by Mr. Tully for a typical mixed town's gas of to-day were: — Carbon dioxide 54 Oxygen \""\ o [ e . Carbon monoxide 22 8 Unsnturated . hydrocarbons '.'..' 3^o Hydrogen 447 Methane t< VT4 Nitrogen 5 ... .• 100.0 On passing this gas over the heated catalyst the poisonous carbon monoxide is almost completely converted into carbon dioxide and hydrogen, so that the composition of the gas is thon, to quote Mr. Tully's figures again:— .' , . Per cent. Carbon dioxide 24.0 Oxygen '[ q'q Carbon monoxide : 0.8 Unsaturated hydrocarbons ..." 2.0 Hydrogen 57.2 Methane 13.1 Nitrogen ..; „,,][ 2^9 100.0 That is to say, the gas now contains no poisonous carbon monoxide, but a high carbon dioxide content and increased hydrogen. In this condition it could hardly be used because of the inert carbon dioxide, and two courses can be followed. The first is to wash all the carbon dioxide out of the gas with water, when the result would be a gas with no carbon dioxide:— Per cent. Carbon monoxide 1,3 Unsaturated hydrocarbons ... 2.6 Hydrogen 75.3 Methane ; 17.2 Nitrogen \" ,'. 35 100.0

This gas would, of course, be absolutely harmless from the toxic point of view, but several disadvantages would apparently result. In the first place, since 24 per cent, of the gas made is destroyed in the process, the price would be increased.- Also a gas high in hydrogen and with no carbon monoxide would be less efficient at the burner, since carbon monoxide burns with much higher radiant heat. < ] . :

; The whole matter presumably depends ion the result of large-scale working, and Mr. Tully also suggests to only partly carry, out the process, so r.s to give a final gas of about 10 per cent, carbon monoxide. The second method is to use another catalyst to convert the carbon dioxide into methane, but about this nothing was divulged, and it is not possible to form any opinion as a result of this visit.

In any case, however, the whole question is extremely interesting, and it is a new development to apply the action of catalysts to the gas process in this way, although catalysis now forms the basis of one treatment for the elimination of sulphur compounds.