Abstract: A process for producing hydrogen and pyrolytic carbon from hydrocarbons may involve converting hydrocarbons into hydrogen and carbon in a reactor at temperatures of 1000° C. or more. The reactor may include two electrodes spaced apart from one another in a flow direction of the hydrocarbons. In a region of the reactor between the electrodes an inert gas component is supplied over an entire reactor cross section. The reactor contains carbon particles in the region between the two electrodes. By introducing an inert gas component over the entire reactor cross section, deposition of carbon in this region of the reactor inner wall is prevented, thus effectively inhibiting the formation of conductivity bridges on the reactor inner wall.

Abstract: A method can be used for operating a descending moving bed reactor with flowable granular material. The method involves: (i) filling an upper lock-hopper with granular material and/or emptying a lower lock-hopper, (ii) purging the lock-hoppers with purging gas, and (iii) filling the reaction chamber containing a descending moving bed from the upper lock-hopper and/or emptying the reaction chamber into the lower lock-hopper. The pressure equalization between the reaction chamber and lock-hopper is achieved with product gas. The method then involves: (iv) optionally, relieving the lock-hoppers and conveying the product gas flow into the product line, and (v) purging the lock-hoppers with purging gas.

Abstract: A process can be used for the treatment of an offgas stream, which is formed in a plant for the production of aluminum by electrolytic reduction of aluminum oxide in a melt, using at least one anode composed of a carbon-containing material. The offgas stream contains carbon oxides due to the reduction of the aluminum oxide by the carbon. At least a substream of the carbon oxides contained in the offgas stream is reacted with hydrogen or mixed with a hydrogen stream and is subsequently passed to a use. After purification and conditioning of the offgas stream in a device, an enrichment, for example with carbon monoxide, can subsequently be carried out in a reactor and the synthesis gas obtained in this way can be fed to a chemical or biotechnological plant for the synthesis of chemicals of value.

Abstract: The invention relates to a reactor comprising a moving bed of solid particles that move in the direction of gravitation, and to a method for heating a reactor that comprises a moving bed, for the purpose of pyrolysis reactions.

Abstract: A process can utilize carbon oxides formed in the production of aluminum, by electrolytic reduction of aluminum oxide in a melt using at least one anode made of a carbon-comprising material. A pyrolysis of hydrocarbons, in particular methane or natural gas, is carried out in which pyrolysis carbon and hydrogen are formed. The pyrolysis carbon is used for the production of the at least one anode. The hydrogen formed in the pyrolysis of methane is mixed with carbon dioxide and/or carbon monoxide from the electrolytic production of aluminum, to produce a gas stream which is parsed to a further use. An integrated plant contains an electrolysis apparatus for producing aluminum by melt-electrolytic reduction of aluminum oxide, and also contains at least one reactor in which pyrolysis carbon and hydrogen are produced by pyrolysis of hydrocarbons.

Abstract: An integrated process contains the following steps of: (i) pyrolysis of hydrocarbons to carbon and hydrogen, (iia) removal of at least a part of the produced carbon in step (i) and at least partly further processing of said carbon into a carbon containing electrode, and (iib) removal of the hydrogen produced in step (i) and at least partly using said hydrogen for providing energy, preferably electric energy or heat, for the electrode production in step (iia). A joint plant is also useful, which contains (a) at least one reactor for a pyrolysis process, (b) at least one reactor for the production of electrodes for an aluminum process, (c) a power plant and/or at least one gas-fired burner, and optionally, (d) at least one reactor for the electrolysis for producing aluminum.

Abstract: A reactor for carrying out an endothermic reaction, in particular a high-temperature reaction, in which a product gas is obtained from a feed gas, wherein: the reactor surrounds a reactor interior; the reactor is configured to provide a reactor bed in a reaction zone of the reactor interior, which reactor bed comprises a large number of solid material particles; the reactor is also configured to guide the feed gas into the reaction zone; in order to heat the feed gas, the reactor is designed to heat the solid material particles in the reaction zone such that, by transferring heat from the solid material particles to the feed gas, the feed gas in the reaction zone can be heated to a reaction temperature in order to participate as a starting product in the endothermic reaction for producing the product gas.

Abstract: A process can be utilized to produce hydrogen and pyrolysis carbon from hydrocarbons where the hydrocarbons are converted into hydrogen and carbon in a reactor at temperatures of 1000° C. or more and the reactor has at least two electrodes that are at a distance from one another in a flow direction of the hydrocarbons. To avoid carbon deposits in a region between the electrodes, which can lead to failure of a heating system, the carbon particles may be introduced into the reactor in countercurrent to the hydrocarbons and may be heated in a heating zone between the electrodes to a temperature above a decomposition temperature of the hydrocarbons at such a mass flow that a reaction zone in which the hydrocarbons are converted into hydrogen and carbon is spatially separated in a flow direction of the carbon particles from the heating zone.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing hydrogen, carbon monoxide and a carbon-containing product in at least one reaction apparatus, wherein the at least one reaction apparatus comprises a bed of carbon-containing material and is characterized in that the bed of carbon-containing material in the at least one reaction apparatus is alternately heated to a temperature of >800° C. and, no later than upon reaching a temperature of 1800° C., cooled to a maximum of 800° C., wherein hydrogen and carbon monoxide are produced during the heating phase and carbon and hydrogen are produced during the cooling phase.