1774. ------. [JOHNSON, E. A.] (Standard Oil Co. of Indiana). Process for Producing Hydrogen-Carbon Monoxide Gas Mixtures. United States Patent 2,482,187, Sept. 20, 1949; appl. filed Apr. 3, 1944. Serial No. 529,268; 1 claim (Cl. 48-196). Chem. Abs., vol. 44, 1950, p. 823.

Finely divided carbonaceous material, including powdered coal, oil shale, oil sands, etc., is heated by partial combustion with air, the hot, partly carbonized material is withdrawn and mixed with fresh carbonaceous material in another chamber where further heating is secured by blowing with O₂ to maintain temperatures above 1,500º F., and controlled amounts of steam are added to the O₂, thus generating a mixture of CO and H₂ with proportions varying with the amount of steam introduced. The flow rates in both of these chambers is sufficient to keep the material in turbulent motion. CH₄ may be introduced as an auxiliary fuel in either stage. The hot solids from the 2d stage may be mixed with further raw carbonaceous material and introduced into a 3d stage where the heat will be sufficient to carbonize the mixture and drive off hydrocarbons. The coke from this stage is returned to the heating stage.