Industrial Gases Instead of decreasing in importance or remainin? stagnant as many old fields do, developments in technology of industrial gases are increasing rapidly. 31any problems in use of gases have existed for some time, hut new ones have arisen from recent changes. Some of these are caused tiy extension of natural gas transmission lines into areas previously served only by manufactured gas: others are caused 11y increased use of gas for residential heating. Gas companies serving residential areas are faced with the necessity of auqmenting their normal supplies during periods of cold Lveather with gas from other sourccs; also those companies which have converted frotn manufactured gas to natural gas and lvhich elected to stay on the loiver B.t.u. basis face the additional problem of supplying qas of reduced heating value from high heat value sources. T\vo articles in this group descrilie recent practical developments in solving these problems. Of equal importance, though perhaps less urgent, is the problem of producing gas from solid fuels. T h a t there are locations \vhere solid fuels are available and \?here i t is impractical to transport gas, points to the need for research in this field. Furthermore, research on gasification of solid fuels is needed to protect the future should natural gas supplies be unable to meet demand. T ~ v oarticles of this symposium describe the results of fundamental investigations and advances along these lines. There are, naturally, many other major problems such as production of gases for chemical uses, removal of impurities, and prolilerns in transmission and starage. Also, unwanted gases will need disposal. One of the papers deals tvith disposal of flue gases, which is becoming of critical importance to plant operators, particularly electric utilities which use high-sulfur fuels. N. W. Franke
386
INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
CONTENTS Cyclic Catalytic Process
Reforming
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387
Recovery of Sulfur Dioxide from Flue Gases..
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392
Kinetics of Carbon Gasification
396
Producing Natural Gas Substitute and l o w Heating Value Gas..
404
Iron Catalysts and the FischerTropsch Synthesis..
410
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