3933.  ----- [WILCOX, W. D.] Mixture of Carbon Monoxide and Hydrogen in Controlled Proportions Suitable for Methanol Synthesis. United States Patent 2,256,333, Sept. 16, 1941; appl. filed Jan. 6, 1938, Serial No. 185,646; 6 claims (Cl. 252-373). Chem. Abs., vol. 36, 1942, p. 250.

Process is employed that involves heating the interior of a refractory walled dissociation chamber filled with refractory heat-absorbing masses to a temperature > 2,500° F., by a combustion of fuel gas in the chamber, conveying the combustion gas through a heat exchanger and preheating the air which supports the combustion of the fuel gas, then passing hydrocarbon gases, to which have been added a volume of steam in excess of that, which if dissociated, would oxidize the C of the hydrocarbon gas to CO through the dissociation chamber, in a direction of travel countercurrent to the travel of the heating gas, with a time of contact with the heated refractories within the chamber such as effects a nearly complete dissociation of the hydrocarbon gas; then bringing about an increase in the ratio of CO:H₂ in the gas, by passing the gas from the dissociation chamber through a body of coke previously heated to incandescence, in a connected generator and converting the undecomposed steam in the gas to CO and H₂ by union with the coke.