Abstract: This invention relates to a process as well as a burner for producing carbon monoxide, in which liquid hydrocarbons such as e.g. oil or natural gas are non-catalytically decomposed into carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2) at high temperatures. The steam previously used as atomizing and cooling medium is replaced by carbon dioxide, which downstream of the reactor system is separated from the synthesis gas produced and recirculated. To reduce the expenditure of apparatus for providing the gasification medium, the carbon dioxide is withdrawn from the succeeding gas washing, supplied to the burner and expanded through one or more nozzles directly before the orifice opening for the fuel, the differential pressure of the expansion of the carbon dioxide only being 2% to 50% of the reactor pressure.

Abstract: A process of treating an aqueous liquor which has been used to scrub a hot raw gas produced by the gasification of a solid, liquid or gaseous fuel, which liquor has dissolved therein gaseous pollutant, comprising flashing said liquor from a temperature of at least 100.degree. C and a pressure of at least about 5 bars in at least on preliminary flashing stage to an intermediate pressure in the range of about 1.1 to 4 bars, separating the flashed-off gases containing the bulk of the pollutants from the residual aqueous liquor, and then flashing off the residual liquor to atmospheric pressure. The pollutant gas may contain H.sub.2 S and the gas product of the preliminary flashing can be fed to a Claus process for removing sulfur compounds.