How can production of hydrogen from water gas be increased by using water gas shift reaction ?

Explanation

To solve the question of how the production of hydrogen from water gas can be increased using the water gas shift reaction, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Water Gas**:
Water gas is a mixture of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2). It is produced when superheated steam reacts with red-hot coke or coal.

2. **Production of Water Gas**:
The reaction to produce water gas can be represented as:
\[ \text{C (s) + H}_2\text{O (g)} \rightarrow \text{CO (g) + H}_2\text{(g)} \]
This reaction requires a temperature of about 1270 K and is typically facilitated by a nickel catalyst. The energy required for this process is around 121.3 kJ.

3. **Water Gas Shift Reaction**:
To increase the production of hydrogen, we can utilize the water gas shift reaction. This involves reacting carbon monoxide with additional steam:
\[ \text{CO (g) + H}_2\text{O (g)} \rightarrow \text{CO}_2\text{(g) + H}_2\text{(g)} \]
This reaction occurs at a lower temperature of about 673 K and requires an iron chromate catalyst.

4. **Outcome of the Reaction**:
By conducting the water gas shift reaction, carbon monoxide is converted into carbon dioxide (CO2) and additional hydrogen (H2) is produced. This effectively increases the overall yield of hydrogen from the initial water gas.

5. **Removal of Carbon Dioxide**:
After the reaction, the produced carbon dioxide can be removed from the mixture through scrubbing, allowing for the collection of the increased hydrogen gas.

### Conclusion:
By using the water gas shift reaction, we can effectively increase the production of hydrogen from water gas by converting carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide while generating more hydrogen in the process.

---