Process for generation of carbon monoxide

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN FROM A LIQUID HYDROCARBON WHEREIN SAID HYDROCARBON IS REACTED WITH OXYGEN IN A REACTION ZONE TO PRODUCE A PRODUCT GAS STREAM COMPRISING CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN AND CONTAINING ENTRAINED FREE CARBON, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES INTIMATELY CONTACTING SAID PRODUCT GAS STREAM WITH WATER IN A GAS SCRUBBING ZONE THEREBY EFFECTING REMOVAL OF FREE CARBON FROM SAID GAS STREAM AND PRODUCING A DISPERSION OF CARBON IN WATER, WITHDRAWING SAID DISPERSION FROM SAID GAS SCRUBBING ZONE, SEPARATING WATER FROM SAID DISPERSION TO FORM A SLURRY OF CARBON IN WATER, INTIMATELY CONTACTING THE SLURRY OF CARBON IN WATER WITH AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID LIQUID HYDROCARBON FEED AND THEREBY EFFECTING A TRANSFER OF SAID CARBON PARTICLES FROM THE WATER TO THE HYDROCARBON AND FORMING A DISPERSION OF SOLID CARBOB IN LIQUID HYDROCARBON, AND PASSING SAID DISPERSION OF CARBON IN LIQUID HYDROCARBON TO SAID REACTION ZONE AS AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE FUEL FEED TO THE REACTION ZONE.