1294.    GROSDZ, J.  [Theory of Water-Gas Formation.]  Ztschr. Angew. Chem., vol. 31, I, 1918, pp. 137-140; Jour. Soc. Chem. Ind., vol. 37, 1918, p. 538A; Chem. Abs., vol. 13, 1919, p. 1009.

        Experiments were made to ascertain the parts played in water-gas formation by the supposed primary reactions (1) C+H₂O=CO+H₂, and (2) C+2H₂O=CO₂+2H₂, and the secondary reactions (3) C+CO₂=2CO, and (4) CO+H₂O=CO₂+H₂.  Superheated steam was passed over various forms of heated C and the composition of the issuing gases determined.  The temperatures varied from 855° down to 560°, and the speed of the current of steam was also varied.  Natural forms of C containing ash in appreciable quantities behaved in a markedly different manner from purified C almost free ash.  With gas coke (8.5% ash) and wood charcoal (1.4% ash), a considerable proportion of CO₂ was always formed (up to 29%).  On the other hand, lamp C (0.1% ash) at temperatures down to 600° gave mixtures closely resembling water gas as manufacture.  Even at 500° the mixture: CO₂ 8.6%, CO 39.5%, H₂ 40.0%, residue 11.9% was obtained.  It is concluded that reaction (2) cannot be a primary reaction, because reaction (3) is known to be too sluggish to account for the formation of the % of CO found at these low temperatures.  It is also concluded that reaction (1) is the primary reaction of water-gas formation, and that the CO formed reacts with the excess of steam tending to establish the water-gas equilibrium and that this reaction is catalytically influenced by the finely divided ash in the C.