Carbon separation process

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE GENERATION OF A SYNTHESIS GAS MIXTURE BY PARTIAL OXIDATION OF A HYDROCARBONACEOUS MATERIAL AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE IN WHICH THE GENERATED GAS MIXTURE COMPRISING CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN CONTAINS MINOR AMOUNTS OF SOLID CARBON PARTICLES PRODUCED BY SAID PARTIAL OXIDATION PROCESS, AND THE GENERATED GAS MIXTURE IS CONTACTED IN A SCRUBBING ZONE WITH AN AQUEOUS LIQUID TO EFFECT REMOVAL OF SAID CARBON PARTICLES FROM THE MIXTURE WITH THE RESULTING FORMATION OF AN AQUEOUS SLURRY OF SAID CARBON PARTICLES, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES INCORPORATING A WATERSOLUBLE INORGANIC SALT OF A LIGNOSULFONIC ACID IN THE AQUEOUS SLURRY IN AN AMOUNT OF AT LEAST ABOUT 40% BY WEIGHT, BASIS WEIGHT OF FREE CARBON PRESENT, SAID AMOUNT BEING SUFFICIENT TO DECREASE THE WATER CONTENT OF THE SEPARATED CARBON PARTICLES, AND THEREAFTER SEPARATING CARBON PARTICLES OF REDUCED WATER CONTENT FROM THE SLURRY.