Steam Reforming of Hydrocarbons for Synthesis Gas Production

Billingham UK, where Mike Spencer spent his entire industrial career, has long been associated with the use of steam reforming for the production of synthesis gas required for the manufacture of some important chemicals, particularly ammonia and methanol. This paper describes the steam reforming process and presents some of the history of the development of tubular reforming. The catalysts, technology and industrial operation of plants are briefly reviewed. Newer technologies, such as adiabatic reforming, autothermal reforming (ATR) and gas heated reforming (GHR) that aim to increase efficiency of and reduce the environmental impact of conventional steam reforming processes are presented.