Process and apparatus for the production of cement clinker, more especially for white cement

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING CEMENT CLINKER FOR WHITE CEMENT COMPRISING INTERMITTENTLY INTRODUCING GRANULAR MATERIAL OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM PARTICLE SIZE INTO A COUNTERCURENTLY FLOWING HOT GAS STREAM, CONTROLLING THE FLOW VELOCITY OF SAID HOT GAS STREAM IN ACCORDANCE WITH AND WITH RESPECT TO THE PARTICLE SIZE OF SAID GRANULAR MATERMINAL, THE FLOW VELOCITY OF SAID HOT GAS STREAM AND THE PARTICLE SIZE OF SAID GRANULAR MATERIAL BEING OF SUCH RESPECTIVE VALUES THAT SAID GRANULAR MATERIAL IS HELD IN SUSPENSION IN SAID GAS STREAM, SAID GAS STREAM BEING AT A SINTERING TEMPERATURE, SINTERING SAID MATERIAL IN SAID GAS STREAM WHILE SAID MATERIAL IS SUSPENDED IN SAID GAS STREAM, REDUCING THE FLOW VELOCITY OF SAID HOT GAS STREAM TO A VELOCITY SUCH THAT THE SUSPENSION OF THE SO-SINTERED GRANDULAR MATERIAL IN SAID GAS STREAM IS TERMINATED, AND CAUSING SAID SO-SINTERED GRANULAR MATERIAL TO DROP INTO A NON-OXIDIZING COOLING MEDIUM.