2620a.     PETERS, K., AND KAPPELMACHER, E.  Conversion of Hydrocarbons to Carbon Monoxide-Hydrogen Mixtures.  Brennstoff-Chem., vol. 33, 1952, pp. 296-307; Chem. Abs., vol. 47, 1953, p. 290.

        Thermodynamic calculations were made for CH₄ splitting with air, steam and CO₂ over the entire temperature range of practical interest and the exact theoretical cracked-gas composition determined corresponding to the practically important CO-H₂ mixtures.  Ni catalysts were prepared with which these reactions were studied on a laboratory scale, with good agreement between theoretical and experimental results.  Catalytic splitting of CH₄ is more rapid with air or O than with CO₂ and steam.  The experiments gave some light as to the reaction mechanism and assisted in minimizing soot formation.  Soot formation can be reduced by lowering the partial pressure of the hydrocarbons by adding an excess of steam, dilution with inert gases, or by the use of a catalyst of higher activity and selectivity.  The results are presented in tabular form and in graphs so the theoretical conditions can be determined for any desired cracked gas composition.  Since the thermodynamic final state is dependent only on the temperature and the atomic relation C:H:O:N in the reactants, these results are applicable to all cracking of solid liquid and gaseous fuels with air, O₂, steam and CO₂ as gasification media.