Question

In Bosch’s process which gas is utilised for the production of hydrogen gas
A. Producer gas
B. Water gas
C. Coal gas
D. None of these

Answer 1

Hint: In Bosch’s process hydrogen gas can be prepared industrially by passing steam over red-hot coke at a very high temperature. The resulting products are carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (${{H}_{2}}$). For the production of pure hydrogen gas, a special technique is used in the presence of iron chromate as a catalyst.

Complete Step by Step Answer:
Bosch’s process is very suitable for a huge amount of hydrogen production industrially by using coke and water. The overall process is carried out in two steps.
Step $1$: In this step, carbon monoxide and hydrogen are produced by passing steam over red-hot coke ${{1200}^{{\mathrm O}}}C$. The mixture of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen gas $({{H}_{2}})$is called water gas$(CO+{{H}_{2}})$.
$C+{{H}_{2}}O\xrightarrow[{{1200}^{{\mathrm O}}}C]{Ni}CO+{{H}_{2}}$
Step $2$: In the second step, water gas is mixed with red-hot steam and it produces hydrogen and carbon dioxide ($C{{O}_{2}}$ ) ${{450}^{o}}C$ in the presence of an iron chromate catalyst.
${{H}_{2}}+{{H}_{2}}O+CO\xrightarrow[\begin{smallmatrix}
 iron \\
 chromate
\end{smallmatrix}]{{{450}^{{\mathrm O}}}C}2{{H}_{2}}+C{{O}_{2}}$
The carbon dioxide which is produced in the second step can be separated from the water gas mixture by dissolving the mixture (${{H}_{2}}+C{{O}_{2}}$) in water. This results in the elimination of carbon dioxide gas as carbonic acid under pressure $20$ to $25$ atm, leaving behind undissolved ${{H}_{2}}$.
Therefore, in Bosch’s process, water gas is utilised for the production of hydrogen gas.
Thus, option (B) is correct.

Note: The hydrogen produced by Bosch’s process is used for the synthesis of ammonia and carbon monoxide acts as a poison for the catalyst. To eliminate hydrogen free from carbon monoxide, the mixture $(CO+{{H}_{2}})$ is passed over a nickel catalyst, where CO is converted to methane.