Reduction of metal oxides

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE SIMULTANEOUS REDUCTION OF A REDUCIBLE SOLID METAL OXIDE AND THE PRODUCTION OF CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN WHICH COMPRISES ADMIXING SAID METAL OXIDE IN PARTICLE FORM AND A PARTICULATE SOLID CARBONACEOUS FUEL WITH SUFFICIENT WATER TO FORM A SLURRY, PASSING SAID SLURRY AS A CONFINED STREAM IN TURBULENT FLOW THROUGH A TUBULAR HEATING ZONE WHEREIN SAID SLURRY IS HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE AT LEAST SUFFICIENT TO VAPORIZE THE WATER THEREBY FORMING A DISPERSION OF SAID SOLID PARTICLES IN STEAM AND SUBJECTING SAID PARTICLES TO HEATING AND THE DISINTEGRATING ACTION OF THE HIGHLY TURBULENT FLOW OF THE CONFINED STREAM OF STEAM RESULTING FROM VAPORIZATION OF THE WATER, DISPERSING THE RESULTING MIXTURE OF FINELY DIVIDED METAL OXIDE AND SOLID CARBONACEOUS FUEL IN AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS IN A REACTION ZONE, EFFECTING INTERACTION OF SAID SOLIDS AND OXYGEN IN THE REACTION ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE ABOUT 2,000* F., AND RECOVERING THE REDUCTION PRODUCT OF THE METAL OXIDE AND A GASEOUS PRODUCT COMPRISING CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN FROM THE REACTION ZONE.