Method for producing carbon monoxide and hydrogen from coal distillation gas

Claim 1

IN A METHOD OF PRODUCING CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN FROM COAL DISTILLATION GAS CONTAINING NITRIC OXIDE AND UNSATURATED CARBONS, SAID DISTILLATION GAS HAVING PREVIOUSLY BEEN FREED OF ANY BENZOL, AMMONIA, AND TAR THEREIN, THIS METHOD COMPRISING CATALYTICALLY CRACKING SAID GAS TO CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING, PRIOR TO SAID CATALYTIC CRACKING, COMPRESSING SAID GAS AND RAISING THE TEMPERATURE THEREOF TO FROM ABOUT 90 TO 120*C., PASSING THE HEATED GAS INTO A CHAMBER AND PERMITTING THE PREPONDERANCE OF THE NITRIC OXIDE PRESENT TO BE CONVERTED TO NITROGEN DIOXIDE FOLLOWED BY REACTION OF SAID NITROGEN DIOXIDE WITH THE UNSTURATED HYDROCARBONS TO FORM GUMS, REMOVING SAID GUMS BY WASHING WITH OIL OR WATER ADAPTED TO COOL SAID GAS TO A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT45*C. TO PERMIT REMOVAL OF HYDROGEN SULFIDE THEREFROM, REMOVING SAID HYDROGEN SULFIDE BY WASHING WITH AN ALKALINE ARSENITE SOLUTION, COOLING SAID GAS BY COLD WATER AND THEREBY REMOVING ANY HCN PRESENT THEREIN, CONTACTING THE RESULTANT GASES WITH ACTIVATED CARBON TO ADSORB AND REMOVE FROM SAID GASES EASILY ADSORBABLE SULFUR COMPOUNDS, AND THEREAFTER CONTACTING SAID GASES IN THE PRESENCE OF OXYGEN WITH AN ADSORBENT CONSISTING OF A MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF LIME AND ZINC OXIDE AT A TEMPERATURE IN EXCESS OF ABOUT 300*C. TO ADSORB SULFUR COMPOUNDS STILL CONTAINED IN SAID GASES, THE TEMPERATURE BEING AT LEAST ABOUT 420*C. WHEN SAID ADSORBENT IS LIME.