Treatment of carbonaceous solids

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR FLUIDIZING FINELY DIVIDED SOLIDS WET WITH A LIQUID MATERIAL WHICH COMPRISES, SUPPLYING FINELY DIVIDED SOLIDS WET WITH A LIQUID MATERIAL TO FEED ZONE, PROVIDING IN A SECOND ZONE A DENSE PHASE BED OF DRY FINELY DIVIDED SOLID MATERIAL FLUIDIZED BY A CONDENSABLE GASEOUS MATERIAL SUPPLYING HEAT TO SAID BED IN SAID SEC OND ZONE TO MAINTAIN THE TEMPERATURE THEREIN ABOVE THE BOILING POINT OF SAID LIQUID MATERIAL, INTRODUCING FLUIDIZED DRY SOLIDS FROM SAID SECOND ZONE BED TO SAID FEED ZONE, MAINTAINING A DENSE PHASE FLUIDIZED BED OF SAID SOLIDS IN SAID FEED ZONE BY ADDING THERETO A STREAM OF NON-CONDENSABLE GAS, SAID DRY SOLIDS AND SAID WET SOLIDS INTRODUCED TO SAID FEED ZONE IN PROPORTIONS TO MAINTAIN THE TEMPERATURE IN SAID FEED ZONE BELOW THE CONDENSATION TEMPERATURE OF SAID LIQUID MATERIAL, SAID GASEOUS FLUIDIZING MATERIAL CONDENSABLE AT THE FEED ZONE TEMPERATURE INTRODUCING SOLIDS FROM SAID FEED ZONE DENSE PHASE BED TO SAID SECOND ZONE, CONTROLLING THE AMOUNT OF NONCONDENSABLE GAS INTRODUCED TO SAID FEED ZONE TO PREVENT SUBSTANTIAL ENTRAINMENT OF FINELY DIVIDED SOLIDS FROM SAID FEED ZONE DENSE PHASE BED, YIELDING FINELY DIVIDED SOLIDS FROM SAID SECOND ZONE, AND VENTING FLUIDIZING GAS FROM SAID FEED ZONE.