text: In order to take advantage of both the thermodynamics and kinetics of the reaction, the industrial scale water gas shift reaction is conducted in multiple adiabatic stages consisting of  a high temperature shift (HTS) followed by a low temperature shift (LTS) with intersystem cooling. The initial HTS takes advantage of the high reaction rates, but results in incomplete conversion of carbon monoxide. A subsequent low temperature shift reactor lowers the carbon monoxide content to O/CO ratio where low ratios may lead to side reactions such as the formation of metallic iron, methanation, carbon deposition, and the Fischer–Tropsch reaction.