TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The method of producing hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide gas further comprises: mechanically removing ash from the leading face of the metal-based catalyst; providing water vapor or steam to the oxygen gas, where the steam-to-carbon ratio is 0.01:1-10:1; and diluting the oxygen gas with a diluent gas, where the diluent gas comprises nitrogen gas, helium and/or argon. The method of producing synthesis gas further comprises inputting methane as a startup gas. The step of contacting carbon and hydrogen occurs in the presence of added oxygen and optionally nitrogen. The methane gas is also present when contacting begins, where the methane gas is optionally used to preheat the catalyst. The temperature is at least 400 degrees C. The fuel is contacted with a surface of the metal-based catalyst at a rate to maintain the surface temperature of the catalyst of 500 and 1600 degrees C. The step of contacting occurs in a reactor. The methane is input for less than five minutes to heat the catalyst prior to inputting the particles. Preferred Components: The metal-based catalyst comprises a transition metal or a noble metal, in combination with a lanthanide. The metal-based catalyst comprises nickel, palladium, platinum, cobalt, rhodium, iridium, iron, ruthenium, osmium, copper, silver, gold and/or rhenium. The lanthanide is cerium or lanthanum. The metal-based catalyst is a rhodium cerium catalyst.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The carbon and hydrogen-containing solid fuel is non-fossilized biomass, which is plant biomass (comprising cotton, wood and/or plant starch), municipal waste biomass, or animal biomass. The carbon and hydrogen-containing solid fuel comprises fossilized biomass, which comprises plastic contains plasticizers. The carbon and oxygen are present in a ratio of 0.3:1-2.5:1. The individual selectivity to hydrogen and carbon monoxide is 0-99%. The particles comprise starch, cellulose, hemicellulose and/or lignin. The particles are 0.1-1 mm and 1 mm to 10 cm in diameter. The means for inputting the solid biomass is a screw extruder. The means for heating the metal-based catalyst comprises inputting methane gas. The support is ceramic foam or spheres. EXAMPLE - A slurry of gamma aluminum trioxide washcoat was added drop-wise, dried, and heated to 600 degrees C for 6 hours. Dried catalysts were calcined at 600 degrees C for 6 hours in air. The quartz reactor tube was loaded with three catalyst-impregnated supports and a fourth 80 pores per inch blank alumina support wrapped in ceramic paper to prevent gas bypass. K-Type thermocouples were inserted after the first and third monolith. The entire reactor was wrapped in one inch of ceramic insulation. The system was initially heated by methane partial oxidation to 800 degrees C after which a continuous flow of solid particles was immediately applied to the front catalyst surface. Methane was removed from the system and the flow rate of air was adjusted. Solids flow was metered from a hopper by a feed screw at an electronically controlled rate to give hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide gas.