Patent ID: 7404942

Claim:
A process for the production of hydrogen and the co-production of carbon dioxide comprising the following operations: feeding of a solid to a first reaction zone (R 1 ) in which a liquid or gaseous hydrocarbon is also fed, which reacts with said solid fed at its maximum oxidation degree (over-oxidized form), leading to the formation of the combustion products carbon dioxide and water and the solid at its minimum oxidation degree (reduced form); feeding of the solid in reduced form to a second reaction zone (R 2 ) into which water is also fed, which reacts with said reduced form of the solid, producing hydrogen, steam and the solid at an intermediate oxidation degree (oxidized form); feeding of the solid in oxidized form to a third reaction zone (R 3 ) into which air is also fed, obtaining, from the further oxidation of the solid, heat and the solid in over-oxidized form to be recycled to the first reaction zone (R 1 ), wherein said solid contains at least one element selected from the group consisting of elements which, in addition to the metallic state, have at least three different oxidation states and are therefore capable of producing at least two redox pairs, in order to the oxidation state, characterized in that in the first reaction zone (R 1 ) the solid in over-oxidized form and the liquid or gaseous hydrocarbon are fed in countercurrent.