Process for the gasification of solid carbonaceous materials

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS FOR TREATING A SOLID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL WHICH TENDS TO AGGLOMERATE ON HEATING TO EFFECT GASIFICATION THEREOF IN A GASIFICATION ZONE MAINTAINED UNDER GASIFICATION CONDITIONS, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES DISPOSING WITHIN SAID ZONE A SUBSTANTIALLY NON-TRANSITORY MASS OF UNREACTIVE SOLID CONTACT MATERIAL IN THE FORM OF PARTICLES HAVING A RELATIVELY HIGH SETTLING RATE IN GASEOUS SUSPENSION, CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID ZONE SOLID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL IN THE FORM OF PARTICLES HAVING A RELATIVELY LOW SETTLING RATE IN GASEOUS SUSPENSION, CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING TO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID ZONE A STREAM OF FLUIDIZING GAS WHICH IS UNREACTIVE WITH SAID SOLID CONTACT MATERIAL UNDER CONDITIONS PREVAILING WITHIN THE ZONE, PASSING SAID STREAM UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID MASS OF PARTICLES WITH SUFFICIENT VELOCITY TO EFFECT ENTRAINMENT OF SAID PARTICLES OF CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL AND TO MAINTAIN SAID PARTICLES OF CONTACT MATERIAL AND TO MAINTAIN SAID PARTICLES OF WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL ENTRAINMENT OF SAID PARTICLES OF CONTACT MATERIAL, EFFECTING SUBSTANTIAL GASIFICATION OF SAID SOLID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL DURING ITS PASSAGE THROUGH SAID CONTACT MATERIAL WITHIN SAID ZONE, CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID ZONE AN EFFLUENT STREAM OF GASEOUS REACTION PRODUCTS CONTAINING ENTRAINED RESIDUAL SOLID MATERIAL RESULTING FROM GASIFICATION OF SAID SOLID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL.