Solid catalyst contacting process and apparatus therefor

Claim 1

A CATALYTIC PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES PASSING HYDROGEN AND VAPOROUS BENZENE TO A CONTACT ZONE, PASSING A NICKEL CATALYST TO SAID CONTACT ZONE, PASSING A MIXTURE COMPRISING SAID HYDROGNE, BENZENE AND CATRALYST FROM SAID CONTACT ZONE UPWARDLY THROUGH A REACTION ZONE, MAINTAINING WATER IN SAID REACTION ZONE IN INDIRCTE HEAT EXCHANGE WITH SAID MIXTURE, PASSING A CYCLOHEXANE AND CATALYST MIXTURE FROM SAID REACTION ZONE TO A SEPARATION ZONE, PASSING FROM SAID SEPARATION ZONE A VAPOROUS CYCLOHEXANE PRODUCT STREAM, WITHDRAWING SAID NICKEL CATALYST FROM SAID SEPARATION ZONE, PASSING SAID NICKEL CATALYST DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID REACTION ZONE IN INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH SAID WATER, AND PASSING SAID NICKEL CATALYST FROM SAID REACTON ZONE TO SAID CONTACT ZONE.