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Patent Abstracts

Method of utilizing charcoal or coke to produce a gas of high CO content and controlled H₂ content comprises feeding the charcoal into 1 end of an externally heated retort continuously to maintain in the retort a column of incandescent C, continuously causing a stream of gas to flow out of the retort countercurrent to the incoming C to expel from the retort those volatile substances that are given off by the C when it is first heated. An oxidizing gas is then caused to flow into the retort at a point where the C is substantially devoid of the volatile, and the resulting reaction products are withdrawn from the retort at another point where the C is substantially devoid of the volatile substances. The H content of the reaction products is controlled by controlling the composition of the oxidizing gas.