Reduction of iron oxide for use in the synthesis of hydrocarbons

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR HYDROGENATING A CARBON OXIDE IN WHICH A GASEOUS REACTION MIXTURE COMPRISING HYDROGEN AND CARBON OXIDE IS CONTACTED WITH A FINELY DIVIDED CONTACT MATERIAL COMPRISING IRON CONTAINING AN ALKALI COMPOUND, THE STEPS COMPRISING CONTINUOUSLY FLOWING HYDROGEN UPWARDLY THROUGH A REDUCTION ZONE IN CONTACT WITH IRON OXIDE CONTAINING AN ALKALI COMPOUND HAVING A FLUIDIZABLE PARTICLE SIZE, MAINTAINING THE LINEAR GAS VELOCITY IN SAID REDUCTION ZONE SUFFICIENT TO SUSPEND THE PARTICLES OF IRON OXIDE CONTIANING ALKALI COMPOUND IN THE GAS STREAM IN THE REDUCTION ZONE, REDUCING IRON OXIDE TO ELEMENTARY METAL AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE 500* F. AND BELOW 700* F. AND AT A PRESSURE OF AT LEAST 100 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH GAGE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME OF AT LEAST 10 HOURS SUFFICIENT TO REDUCE IRON OXIDE TO ELEMENTARY METAL, WHEREBY SINTERING AND AGGLOMERATION OF IRON OXIDE IS PREVENTED DURING REDUCTION, AND THEREAFTER CONTACTING THE IRON CONTACT MATERIAL THUS SUBJECTED TO REDUCING TREATMENT WITH AN UPWARLY FLOWING REACTION MIXTURE COMPRISING HYDROGEN AND A CARBON OXIDE AT A GAS VELOCITY EFFECTIVE TO SUSPEND SAID FLUIDIZABLE CONTACT MATERIAL IN SAID STREAM OF REACTANTS A TEMPERATURE LEVEL EFFECTIVE TO PRODUCE THE DESIRED CATALYTIC REACTION.