water gas

chemical compound

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July 23, 2026

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Water gas is a flammable, poisonous gas mixture primarily composed of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, with smaller amounts of methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen. It is typically produced by blowing air and then steam over red-hot coke or coal. Water gas is used as a fuel and, after being enriched with hydrocarbon gases, as an illuminant. This enriched form is known as carbureted water gas.12

Syngas, a similar mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, is also used for producing hydrocarbon fuels and industrial chemicals. It is considered a form of renewable energy when produced from biomass.3

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chemical industry
Nitrogen
…hydrogen, a mixture known as water gas. It is also possible to carry out a water-gas shift reaction by passing the water gas with more steam over a catalyst, yielding more hydrogen, and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is removed by dissolving it in water at a pressure of about…
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…hydrogen, a mixture known as water gas. It is also possible to carry out a water-gas shift reaction by passing the water gas with more steam over a catalyst, yielding more hydrogen, and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is removed by dissolving it in water at a pressure of about…
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hydrogen
Production and applications of hydrogen
…the principal one being a water–gas reaction between steam and red-hot coke: H₂O + C → CO + H₂. By 1970, however, relatively little hydrogen was being produced by such processes. For many years relatively small amounts of hydrogen had been produced by the electrolysis of aqueous solutions of salt…
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…the principal one being a water–gas reaction between steam and red-hot coke: H₂O + C → CO + H₂. By 1970, however, relatively little hydrogen was being produced by such processes. For many years relatively small amounts of hydrogen had been produced by the electrolysis of aqueous solutions of salt…
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