Question

Explain the water gas shift reaction.

Answer 1

Hint: In the question, we have four words, water, gas, and shift. The word water is added because water is the key reactant in the reaction. The word gas signifies the release of a particular gas like carbon dioxide with hydrogen gas, or carbon monoxide gas with hydrogen gas. The word shift is for the shifting of oxygen from water to the carbon atom. Thus termed as water gas shift reaction.

Complete answer:
The water gas shift reaction is also known as the syngas reaction. The process in which the red Coke is treated with the steam is known as water gas shift reaction. This reaction is also known as the Fischer Tropsch Process. The mixture of hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide is also known as synthesis gas or syngas. The reaction is as follows: -
 \[C + {H_2}O \to CO + {H_2}\]
Synthetic gas may also be obtained by mixing natural gas like methane with steam at very high temperature. The reaction is as follows: -
 \[C{H_4} + {H_2}O \to CO + 3{H_2}\]
The ratio of hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide in the gas reaction preparation varied with the type of reactants taken. Like above if methane is used instead of red coke we get three times the hydrogen gas, however the amount of carbon monoxide is the same.

Note:
The water gas shift reaction is an important source of hydrogen. The reaction is found to be in a state of equilibrium and proceed in the direction of water gas if the temperature is $400^\circ C$ and change in free energy is $\Delta G^\circ = - 14.0KJmo{l^{ - 1}}$ . The reaction is not feasible at room temperature but if catalysts like $F{e_3}{O_{4,}}Fe{(CO)_5},{[HFe{(CO)_4}]^ - }$ are used the reaction will proceeds at a temperature below $100^\circ C$ .