Process for recovering carbon black from a gaseous suspension

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF RECOVERING CARBON BLACK FROM A HOT GASEOUS SUSPENSION THEREOF PRODUCED BY A CARBON BLACK FURNACE WHICH COMPRISES PASSING THE GASEOUS SUSPENSION THROUGH A COOLING ZONE, SPRAYING IT IN SAID COOLING ZONE WITH A FLUID AQUEOUS SLURRY OF CARBON BLACK THEREBY VAPORIZING THE WATER CONSTITUENT OF THE SLURRY AND REDUCING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE HOT GASES, PASSING THE COOLED GASEOUS SUSPENSION THROUGH A DRY PRECIPITATING ZONE AND THERE SEPARATING A MAJOR PORTION OF THE SUSPENDED CARBON FROM THE COOLED GASES IN A DRY STATE, PASSING THE GASES WITH RESIDUAL CARBON SUSPENDED THEREIN THROUGH A WASHING ZONE AND THERE CONTACTING THE GASES WITH A CONTINUOUSLY RECYCLED FLUID AQUEOUS SLURRY OF CARBON BLACK THEREBY REMOVING RESIDUAL CARBON FROM SAID GASES, WITHDRAWING A PORTION OF SAID CARBON BLACK SLURRY FROM THE WASHING CYCLE AND SPRAYING THIS SLURRY INTO THE HOT GASEOUS SUSPENSION IN THE COOLING ZONE, AND ADDING MAKEUP WATER TO THE RECYCLED SLURRY TO MAINTAIN SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT THE VOLUME OF SLURRY IN THE CYCLE.