Treatment of metal halide sludges

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR TREATING A FRIEDEL-CRAFTS TYPE METAL HALIDE SLUDGE FORMED DURING THE CATALYTIC CONVERSION OF HYDROCARBONS IN THE PRESENCE OF A FRIEDEL-CRAFTS TYPE METAL HALIDE CATALYST WHICH COMPRISES: INTRODUCING SAID SLUDGE IN FINELY DIVIDED LIQUID FORM INTO AN UPPER PORTION OF A TREATING ZONBE; INTRODUCING A HYDROLYZING AGENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF FINELY DIVIDED WATER AND STEAM INTO AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF SAID TREATING ZONE SO AS TO EFFECT INTIMATE CONTACT BETWEEN DESCENDING PARTICLES OF SAID SLUDGE AND ASCENDING PARTICLES OF SAID HYDROLYZING AGENT, SAID HYDROLYZING AGENT BEING THE CONTINUOUS PHASE IN SAID TREATING ZONE AND PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO EFFECT ONLY A PARTIAL HYDROLYSIS OF THE METAL HALIDE CONTAINED IN SAID SLUDGE; WITHDRAWING VAPOROUS PRODUCTS OF SAID HYDROLYSIS REACTION OVERHEAD FROM SAID TREATING ZONE; RECEVERING SUBSTANTIALLY ANHYDROUS HYDROGEN HALIDE FROM SAD VAPOROUS RODUCTS; ACCUMULATING A FREE-FLOWING, FINELY-DIVIDED, PARTIALLY HYDROLYZED SOLID IN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID ZONE; INTRODUCING LIGHT HYDROCARBON VAPOR AS A STRIPPING MEDIUM INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID ZONE IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN SAID PARTIALLY HYDROLYZED SOLID IN A SEMIFLUIDIZED STATE; AND WITHDRAWING A STRIPPED, FREE-FLOWING PARTIALLY HYDROLYZED SOLID FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID ZONE.