Method of treatment of solid carbonaceous materials

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE RECOVERY OF VOLATILIZABLE CONSTITUENTS FROM A SOLID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL CONTAINING SAID CONSTITUENTS, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES FORMING A SLURRY OF SAID SOLID MATERIAL IN GRANULAR FORM WITH SUFFICIENT WATER TO PRODUCE A FLUID MIXTURE, PASSING THE RESULTING MIXTURE INTO A TUBULAR HEATING ZONE AT A VELOCITY WITHIN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 1/2 TO ABOUT 10 FEET PER SECOND, VAPORIZING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE WATER FROM SAID SLURRY IN SAID HEATING ZONE THEREBY FORMING A DISPERSION OF SOLID PARTICLES IN THE RESULTING STEAM, DRIVING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE VOLATILIZABLE CONSTITUENTS FROM THE SUSPENDED SOLID PARTICLES WHILE MAINTAINING THE CARBON OF SAID MATERIAL INCONDITION FOR SUBSEQUENT USE AS A FUEL BY HEATING SAID DISPERSION TO A TEMPERATION BETWEEN 700 AND 1,200* F., SEPARATING THE RESULTING VAPORS COMPRISING STEAM AND VOLATILIZED CONSTITUENTS FROM SAID SOLID MATERIAL, AND RECOVERING VOLATILIZED CONSTITUENTS FROM THE STEAM.