Carbon black process

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS FOR PRODUCING FURNACE CARBON BLACK BY THE DECOMPOSTION OF A NORMALLY LIQUID HYDROCARBON FEEDSTOCK WHEREIN SAID HYDROCARBON FEEDSTOCK IS INJECTED INTO A CARBON BLACK FURNACE HAVING A COMBUSTION ZONE AND A REACTION ZONE, AND IS THERIN, AT ELAST IN PART, PARTIALLY BURNED UNDER CARBON BLACK PRODUCING CONDITIONS TO FORM CARBON BLACK IN GASEOUS SUSPENSION AND SAID CARBON BLACK IS THEREAFTER SEPARATED FROM THE RESULTANT FURNACE EFFLUENT GASES AND COLLECTED, AND BY WHICH PROCESS A FURNACE CARBON BLACK OF RELATIVELY HIGH STRUCTURE IS NORMALLY PRODUCED, THE METHOD OF REDUCING THE STRUCTURE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CARBON BLACK SO PRODUCED, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES: INTRODUCING INTO A ZONE OF SAID FURNACE, NOT FURTHER DOWNSTREAM THAN THE ZONE THEREOF IN WHICH SAID BURNING OF SAID HYDROCARBON TO CARBON BLACK OCCURS, A CHROMIUM ADDITIVE EFFECTIVE UNDER SAID FURNACE CONDITIONS TO DEPRESS THE EXTENT OF STRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT IN THE CARBON BLACK PRODUCED, SAID CHROMIUM ADDITIVE BEING IN ADDITION TO ANY NATURALLY OCCURRING CHROMIUM WHICH MAY BE PRESENT IN SAID FEESTOCK; AND PROPORTIONING SAID ADDITIVE, RELATIVE TO SAID HYDROCARBON FEEDSTOCK TO OBTAIN THE REQUIRED REDUCTION IN STRUCTURE.