Catalyst regeneration

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS WHEREIN COMPOUNDS OF HIGHER MOLECULAR WEIGHT ARE SYNTHESIZED FROM HYDROGEN AND CARBON MONOXIDE IN THE PRESENCE OF A DENSE PHASE LIQUID-LIKE MASS OF A FINELY DIVIDED IRON CATALYST COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION OF FREE IRON AND WHEREIN A CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL IS DEPOSITED UPON THE FINELY DIVIDED IRON DURING THE SYNTHESIS THEREBY REDUCING THE DENSITY OF THE CATALYST, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING A PORTION OF THE CATALYST CONTAINING SAID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE AND IN A DENSE PHASE LIQUID-LIKE CONDITION WITH A GASEOUS MIXTURE WHICH IS CAPABLE OF REACTING WITH THE CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL BUT IS SUBSTANTIALLY NEUTRAL WITH RESPECT TO SAID IRON AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 600 AND ABOUT 1300* F., SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF HYDROGEN AND BETWEEN ABOUT 5 AND ABOUT 40 VOLUME PERCENT WATER VAPOR, THE VOLUME PERCENT OF WATER VAPOR PERMISSIBLE IN SAID MIXTURE INCREASING WITH TEMPERATURE BY INCREMENTS OF 5 VOLUME PERCENT FOR EACH 100 DEGREES OF TEMPERATURE ABOVE 600* F. WHEREBY A CATALYST SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL IS OBTAINED AND THE ORIGINAL PROPORTION OF FREE IRON IN THE TREATED CATALYST IS SUBSTANTIALLY UNCHANGED.