Experiments were conducted to measure carbon deposition from gas mixtures containing CO, C02, H2, H20, and CH4. The temperature was 823 K and the pressure 1 atm. An iron catalyst was employed. It was concluded that two conditions have to be satisfied before carbon deposition occurs, viz. the thermodynamics must be favorable for carbon deposition and the gas phase composition must not lie in ranges where the iron oxidizes or carbides as neither of these appear to be a catalyst for carbon deposition reactions. The formation of an oxide or carbide may be treated as a restraint to the attainment of reaction equilibria in the carbon deposition process.It is not uncommon to find high-temperature gas mixtures containing CO, C02, H2, H20, and CH4 in contact with iron or steel. Carbon deposition may occur and simultaneous