Method of producing carbon monoxide and hydrogen by gasification of solid carbonaceous material involving microwave irradiation

A method of gasifying carbon in solid carbonaceous material to produce carbon monoxide and hydrogen, which comprises providing a bed of said solid carbonaceous material with interstices in the bed, countercurrently infiltrating superheated steam along with carbon monoxide and hydrogen produced by said gasification through the interstices in the bed, and in so doing imparting heat from the excess steam, carbon monoxide and hydrogen to said solid carbonaceous material in a zone of the bed most remote from the location of introduction of said superheated steam into the bed thereby driving off moisture from the solid carbonaceous material, in a less remote zone of the bed imparting heat from excess superheated steam, carbon monoxide and hydrogen to the moisture-poor solid carbonaceous material to drive off distillates from said material, and in a still less remote zone of the bed imparting heat from excess steam, carbon monoxide and hydrogen to said distillate-poor solid carbonaceous material to convert the carbon in said material to coke, contacting said coke with superheated steam, and irradiating the product of said contacting in a portion of the bed proximate the location of introduction of the superheated steam into said bed with an amount of microwave energy sufficient to effect gasification of the carbon.