Regeneration of a fischer-tropsch reduced iron catalyst

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF REMOVING CARBONACEOUS MATTER DEPOSITED ON THE SURFACE OF A FLUIDIZABLE IRON CATALYST WHICH HAS BECOME SPENT IN THE SYNTHESIS OF HYDROCABONS FROM CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES CONTACTING SAID CATALYST, IN A REGENERATION ZONE, IN COUNTERCURRENT FLOW RELATION UNDER FREE SETTLING CONDITIONS, WITH UPWARDLY FLOWING OXYGEN IN SUFFICIENT AMOUNT AND AT A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO SUPPORT COMBUSTION OF SAID CARBONACEOUS MATTER AND TO OXIDIZE THE IRON SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY, WHEREBY MAGNETIC IRON OXIDE IS CONCOMITANTLY FORMED AND WHEREBY SAID OXIDE IS FUSED TO FORM UNAGGLOMERATED LIQUID DROPLETS, PASSING MOLTEN IRON OXIDE THUS FORMED DOWNWARDLY IN SAID ZONE IN COUNTERCURRENT FLOW AND HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION WITH OXYGEN AT A TEMPERATURE LOWER THAN THE SOLIDIFICATION TEMPERATURE OF SAID OXIDE TO COOL SAME AND FORM SOLID MAGNETIC IRON