Question
How will you prepare hydrogen commercially from hydrocarbons?
Or
What is understood by ‘water gas shift reaction’? Discuss its use for the preparation of hydrogen.
Solution
These days, dihydrogen is produced commercially from hydrocarbons by reaction with steam in the presence of a catalyst and at high temperature.
CO is converted to CO2 by passing the gases and steam over an iron oxide or cobalt oxide catalyst at 673K resulting in the production of more H2.
This is called water-gas shift reaction. A mixture of CO2 and H2 is passed through water under pressure. Carbon dioxide dissolves in water leaving behind hydrogen gas.
