Method for treating materials

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR DRYING ARTICLES WHICH GIVE OFF SUBSTANTIAL QAUANTITIES OF COMBUSTIBLE VAPORS DURING THE DRYING OPERATION, SAID METHOD INVOLVING THE USE OF A SUBSTANTIALLY INERT DRYING GAS WHICH IS CONTINUOUSLY GENERATED BY THE OXIDATION OF VAPORS EVOLVED IN THE COURSE OF THE DRYING OPERATION AND COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PASSING HEATED DRYING GAS THROUGH A DRYING ZONE IN CONTACT WITH THE ARTICLES TO BE DRIED, PASSING SAID DRYING GAS CONTAINING EVOLVED COMBUSTIBLE VAPORS AND AT LEAST SUFFICIENT OXYGEN TO PROVIDE FOR COMPLETE OXIDATION OF SAID VAPORS TO A CATALYTIC OXIDATION ZONE AND THEREIN CONTACTING SAID MIXTURE WITH AN OXIDATION CATALYST UNDER CONDITIONS PERMITTING SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE OXIDATION OF SAID VAPORS, RECYCLING HEATED, SUBSTANTIALLY VAPOR-FREE GAS LEAVING SAID CATALYTIC OXIDATION ZONE TO SAID DRYING ZONE AS DRYING GAS, WHILE LIMITING THE OVERALL ADDITION OF OXYGEN TO THE SYSTEM SUCH THAT THE SUBSTANTIALLY VAPOR FREE GAS FROM THE CATALYTIC OXIDATION ZONE IS SO DEFICIENT IN OXYGEN THAT THE GAS VAPOR MIXTURE FORMED THEREWITH IN SAID DRYING ZONE ALWAYS REMAINS OUTSIDE THE LIMITS OF FLAMMABILITY UNDER OPERATING CONDITIONS IRRESPECTIVE OF THE VAPOR CONCENTRATION IN SAID MIXTURE.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR DRYING ARTICLES WHICH GIVE OFF SUBSTANTIAL QAUANTITIES OF COMBUSTIBLE VAPORS DURING THE DRYING OPERATION, SAID METHOD INVOLVING THE USE OF A SUBSTANTIALLY INERT DRYING GAS WHICH IS CONTINUOUSLY GENERATED BY THE OXIDATION OF VAPORS EVOLVED IN THE COURSE OF THE DRYING OPERATION AND COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PASSING HEATED DRYING GAS THROUGH A DRYING ZONE IN CONTACT WITH THE ARTICLES TO BE DRIED, PASSING SAID DRYING GAS CONTAINING EVOLVED COMBUSTIBLE VAPORS AND AT LEAST SUFFICIENT OXYGEN TO PROVIDE FOR COMPLETE OXIDATION OF SAID VAPORS TO A CATALYTIC OXIDATION ZONE AND THEREIN CONTACTING SAID MIXTURE WITH AN OXIDATION CATALYST UNDER CONDITIONS PERMITTING SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE OXIDATION OF SAID VAPORS, RECYCLING HEATED, SUBSTANTIALLY VAPOR-FREE GAS LEAVING SAID CATALYTIC OXIDATION ZONE TO SAID DRYING ZONE AS DRYING GAS, WHILE LIMITING THE OVERALL ADDITION OF OXYGEN TO THE SYSTEM SUCH THAT THE SUBSTANTIALLY VAPOR FREE GAS FROM THE CATALYTIC OXIDATION ZONE IS SO DEFICIENT IN OXYGEN THAT THE GAS VAPOR MIXTURE FORMED THEREWITH IN SAID DRYING ZONE ALWAYS REMAINS OUTSIDE THE LIMITS OF FLAMMABILITY UNDER OPERATING CONDITIONS IRRESPECTIVE OF THE VAPOR CONCENTRATION IN SAID MIXTURE.