Process for production of carbon black

Claim 1

IN A COMBINED CARBON BLACK AND SYNTHESIS GAS PRODUCING PROCESS IN WHICH A FEED CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF HYDROCARBONS, OXYGEN, AND RECYCLED SYNTHESIS GAS HEREINAFTER DESCRIBED UBNDERGOES PARTIAL COMBUSTION IN A CARBON BLACK FURNACE, AND THE RESULTANT EFFLUENT SMOKE CONTAINING CARBON BLACK AND COMBUSTION GAS IS TREATED TO SEPARATE OUT THE CARBON BLACK FROM SAID COMBUSTION GAS, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING COOLING SAID SEPARATED COMBUSTION GAS BELOW ITS DEW POINT, WASHING SAID SEPARATED COMBUSTION GAS WITH WATER TO REMOVE SOME OF ITS WATER CONTENT, REMOVING THE CARBON DIOXIDE FROM TEH EFFLUENT GAS FROM SAID WASHING STEP TO FORM A SYNTHESIS GAS, WITHDRAWING A FIRST PORTION OF SAID SYNTHESIS GAS AS A PRODUCT, RECYCLING A SECOND PORTION OF SAID SYNTHESIS GAS TO SAID FEED AS XXXX DESCRIBED AND INCREASING THE HYDROGEN TO CARBON MONOXIDE INT SAID XXXXXX GAS BY RECYCLING A THIRD PORTION OF SAID SYNTHESIS GAS TO A POINT IN THE PROCESS UPSTREAM OF SAID WASHING STEP AND CONTACTING SAID THIRD PORTION OF SAID SYNTHESIS GAS IN SAID LAST RECCYLE WITH WATER UNDER TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE EFFECTIVE TO CAUSE A WATER GAS SHIFT INCREASING THE HYDROGEN AT THE EXPENSE OF CONVERTING SOME CARBON MONOXIDE TO CARBON DIOXIDE, WHEREBY THE CARBON DIOXIDE PRODUCED THEREIN IS REMOVED IN SAID CARBON DIOXIDE REMOVAL STEP UPSTREAM OF THE POINT WHERE SAID FIRST PORTION OF SIAD SYNTHESISI GAS IS WITHDRAWN AS A PRODUCT.