Conversion of hydrocarbon materials

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR CONVERTING ETHANE AND LIQUID HIGH-BOILING HYDROCARBON MATERIALS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HEAVY GAS OIL, FUEL OIL, CRUDE RESIDUUM AND MIXTURES THEREOF, WHICH COMPRISES: PASSING ETHANE INTO A FIRST CONVERSION ZONE AND THEREIN THERMALLY CONVERTING SAME AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM 1300 TO 2500* F., AT A PRESSURE OF FROM 5 TO 40 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH ABSOLUTE AND AT A CONTACT TIME OF FROM 0.001 TO 1 SECOND: WITHDRAWING RESULTING PRODUCTS OF CONVERSION FROM SAID FIRST CONVERSION ZONE AND PASSING SAME INTO AN ATOMIZING ZONE; PASSING SUCH A LIQUID HIGH-BOILING HYDROCARBON MATERIAL INTO SAID ATOMIZING ZONE; DIRECTLY CONTACTING SAID RESULTING PRODUCTS OF CONVERSION FROM SAID FIRST CONVERSION ZONE AND SAID LIQUID HIGH-BOILING HYDROCARBON MATERIAL IN SAID ATOMIZING ZONE, THEREBY VAPORIZING A PORTION, ATOMIZING A REMAINING PORTION AND HEATING TO CONVERSION TEMPERATURE SAID HIGH-BOILING HYDROCARBON MATERIAL, AND QUENCHING SAID RESULTING PRODUCTS OF CONVERSION FROM SAID FIRST CONVERSION ZONE BELOW CONVERSION TEMPERATURE; DIRECTLY PASSING A RESULTING MIXTURE OF VAPORS AND ATOMIZED HIGH-BOILING HYDROCARBON MATERIALS INTO A SECOND CONVERSION ZONE AND THEREIN THERMALLY CONVERTING SAID HIGH-BOILING MATERIALS AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM 950 TO 1450* F., A PRESSURE OF FROM 5 TO 40 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH ABSOLUTE AND A CONTACT TIME OF FROM 0.2 TO 3.5 SECONDS; AND WITHDRAWING RESULTING VAPORS AND ATOMIZED HIGH-BOILING HYDROCARBON MATERIALS FROM SAID SECOND CONVERSION ZONE AND DIRECTLY CONTACTING SAME WITH A QUENCH MEDIUM, THERERBY QUENCHING TO A TEMPERATURE BELOW 900* F.