Patent ID: 8808411

Claim:
A process for making a high purity gas comprising the steps of: (a) adding a carbon-containing feed stream into a first bath vessel containing a first molten metal bath, wherein the first bath vessel is maintained at a pressure, P 1 , of at least 1 bar, and producing a first vessel gas stream comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide; (b) removing the first vessel gas stream from the first bath vessel and introducing the first vessel gas stream into a third bath vessel containing a third molten metal bath, wherein the third bath vessel is maintained at a third pressure, P 3 , of at least 1 bar, optionally adding an oxygen source, such as steam or an oxygen containing feed, and producing a third vessel gas stream comprising hydrogen, SO 3 and carbon dioxide; (c) removing the third vessel gas stream from the third bath vessel, and optionally condensing the SO 3 therefrom and/or removing the carbon dioxide, thereby obtaining a purified hydrogen gas; (d) adding steam to a fourth bath vessel containing a fourth molten metal bath characterized by a low carbon content, wherein the fourth bath vessel is maintained at a fourth pressure, P 4 , of at least 1 bar, thereby producing additional purified hydrogen gas; and (e) adding one or more gas streams produced by step (c) and/or (d) to a second bath vessel containing a second molten metal bath maintained at a second pressure, P 2 , of at least 1 bar, and a temperature of less than about 800-1000° F., characterized by a high carbon content, wherein the one or more gas streams are a gas consisting of one or more gases produced by step (c), produced by step (d), and oxygen, thereby producing purified methane or carbon monoxide.