Method of regenerating spent contact mass material

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF REGENERATING SPENT PETROLEUM PERCOLATION INORGANIC ADSORBENTS CONTAINING HEAVY DEPOSITS OF CARBONACEOUS CONTAMINANTS IN WHICH THE CARBON CONTENT IS MORE THAN ABOUT 4% BY WEIGHT OF THE ADSORBENT AND BEING AT A TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE PRACTICABLE FOR INITIATION OF COMBUSTION OF SAID CONTAMINANTS WHICH METHOD COMPRISES: MIXING WITH SAID SPEND ADSORBENT A QUANTITY OF HOT SUBSTANTIALLY REGENERATED ADSORBENT WHICH IS AT A TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE REQUIRED FOR PRACTICABLE COMBUSTION OF SAID CONTAMINANTS, SAID QUANTITY BEING SUFFICIENT TO HEAT SAID SPENT ADSORBENT TO A TEMPERATURE AT LEAST ABOVE THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE PRACTICABLE FOR INITIATION OF THE COMBUSTION OF SAID CONTAMINANTS AND SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE AN ADSORBENT MIXTURE IN WHICH THE CARBON CONTENT OF THE CONTAMINANTS IS LESS THAN ABOUT 4 PER CENT BY WEIGHT OF THE ADSORBENT, PASSING SAID MIXTURE THROUGH A SERIES OF SUPERPOSED BURNING ZONES WHEREIN IT PASSES AS A SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT COLUMN OF DOWNWARDLY MOVING PARTICLES AND WHEREIN IT IS MAINTAINED AT CONTAMINANT COMBUSTION TEMPERATURES, PASSING COMBUSTION SUPPORTING GAS INTO CONTACT WITH SAID ADSORBENT IN EACH OF SAID BURNING ZONES TO BURN OFF SAID CONTAMINANTS AND COOLING SAID ADSORBENT IN ZONES INTERMEDIATE AT LEAST MOST OF SAID BURNING ZONES SO AS TO LIMIT THE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF SAID ADSORBENT BELOW THAT WHICH WOULD CAUSE HEAT DAMAGE TO SAID ADSORBENT.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF REGENERATING SPENT PETROLEUM PERCOLATION INORGANIC ADSORBENTS CONTAINING HEAVY DEPOSITS OF CARBONACEOUS CONTAMINANTS IN WHICH THE CARBON CONTENT IS MORE THAN ABOUT 4% BY WEIGHT OF THE ADSORBENT AND BEING AT A TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE PRACTICABLE FOR INITIATION OF COMBUSTION OF SAID CONTAMINANTS WHICH METHOD COMPRISES: MIXING WITH SAID SPEND ADSORBENT A QUANTITY OF HOT SUBSTANTIALLY REGENERATED ADSORBENT WHICH IS AT A TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE REQUIRED FOR PRACTICABLE COMBUSTION OF SAID CONTAMINANTS, SAID QUANTITY BEING SUFFICIENT TO HEAT SAID SPENT ADSORBENT TO A TEMPERATURE AT LEAST ABOVE THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE PRACTICABLE FOR INITIATION OF THE COMBUSTION OF SAID CONTAMINANTS AND SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE AN ADSORBENT MIXTURE IN WHICH THE CARBON CONTENT OF THE CONTAMINANTS IS LESS THAN ABOUT 4 PER CENT BY WEIGHT OF THE ADSORBENT, PASSING SAID MIXTURE THROUGH A SERIES OF SUPERPOSED BURNING ZONES WHEREIN IT PASSES AS A SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT COLUMN OF DOWNWARDLY MOVING PARTICLES AND WHEREIN IT IS MAINTAINED AT CONTAMINANT COMBUSTION TEMPERATURES, PASSING COMBUSTION SUPPORTING GAS INTO CONTACT WITH SAID ADSORBENT IN EACH OF SAID BURNING ZONES TO BURN OFF SAID CONTAMINANTS AND COOLING SAID ADSORBENT IN ZONES INTERMEDIATE AT LEAST MOST OF SAID BURNING ZONES SO AS TO LIMIT THE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF SAID ADSORBENT BELOW THAT WHICH WOULD CAUSE HEAT DAMAGE TO SAID ADSORBENT.