Hydration of lime

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR HYDRATING LIME WHICH COMPRISES FORMING A FLUIDIZED BED BY MIXING WITH CRUSHED LIME A PROPORTION OF WATER ADJUSTED SO THAT THE EXCESS OVER THAT REQUIRED TO FORM THE HYDRATE WILL BE VAPORIZED BY THE EXOTHERMIC HEAT OF HYDRATION, PASSING AN INERT GASEOUS MEDIUM THROUGH THE FLUIDIZED BED OF SOLID PARTICLES THUS FORMED FROM BENEATH THE BED TO AUGMENT AND MAINTAIN THE FLUIDIZED STATE AND CARRY THE FINER OF THE FLUIDIZED PARTICLES TO A ZONE ABOVE THE BED CONTAINING THE FLUIDIZED CRUSHED LIME, SEPARATERLY COLLECTING THE SAID FINER PARTICLES BY WITHDRAWING THEM WHILE IN SUSPENSION ABOVE THE BED INTO A SEPARATING ZONE ADJACENT THE REACTION ZONE, AND MAINTAINING A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO PREVENT CONDENSATION OF WATER VAPOR UNTIL AFTER THE SAID SEPARATION.