The production of dihydrogen obtained from coal gasification can be increased by reacting carbon mon — Hydrogen Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

# Water-Gas Shift Reaction **The process is called the Water-Gas Shift (WGS) reaction.** ## Step-by-Step Explanation: **1) Identify the reaction:** $$CO + H_2O \xrightarrow{\text{Fe-Cr catalyst}} CO_2 + H_2$$ **2) Recognize the purpose:** - Carbon monoxide from syngas (coal gasification product) reacts with steam - Produces additional dihydrogen ($H_2$), increasing overall yield - The catalyst used is iron chromate ($Fe_2O_3 \cdot Cr_2O_3$) **3) Why this is called Water-Gas Shift:** - "Water-gas" = mixture of $CO$ and $H_2$ from coal/coke gasification - "Shift" = reaction converts $CO$ to $CO_2$, shifting equilibrium toward more $H_2$ production - This is a classical industrial process for enhancing hydrogen yield from fossil fuels **4) Industrial significance:** - Increases $H_2$ production without requiring additional coal - Removes poisonous $CO$ that deactivates downstream catalysts - Exothermic reaction that supplies its own heat This is a standard term in industrial chemistry and syngas processing.