[1][2] The process was invented in 1909 by Adolf Frank and developed with Carl von Linde and Heinrich Caro.
[3] Water gas is compressed to 20 bar and pumped into the Linde–Frank–Caro reactor.
A water column removes most of the carbon dioxide and sulfur.
Tubes with caustic soda then remove the remaining carbon dioxide, sulphur, and water from the gas stream.
The remaining gas is pumped to the next vessel where the nitrogen is liquefied by cooling to −205 °C, resulting in hydrogen gas as an end product.