Catalytic process employing pulsed vaporous feed and continuously flowing inert vaporous carrier

Claim 1

IN A METHOD FOR THE SEPARATION OF COMPONENTS FORMED IN THE VAPOR PHASE CATALYTIC CHEMICAL CONVERSION OF A VAPOROUS FEED MATERIAL IN A CONVERSION ZONE IN THE PRESENCE OF A FINELY DIVIDED CATALYTICALLY ACTIVE SOLID, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY UNIDIRECTIONALLY FLOWING AN INERT VAPOROUS CARRIER THROUGH SAID CONVERSION ZONE UNDER CONVERSION CONDITIONS, PERIODICALLY INTRODUCING PULSES OF SAID VAPOROUS FEED MATERIAL INTO SAID VAPOROUS CARRIER FOR SEQUENTIALLY PULSED FLOW THROUGH SAID CONVERSION ZONE UNDER SAID CONVERSION CONDITIONS TO OBTAIN CONTINUOUS SEPARATION OF ONE OF THE COMPONENTS FROM ANOTHER OF THE COMPONENTS FORMED BY CONVERSION OF SAID MATERIAL IN SAID CONVERSION ZONE, SAID ONE OF THE COMPONENTS HAVING A RATE OF TRAVEL THROUGH SAID CONVERSION ZONE DIFFERENT FROM THE RATE OF TRAVEL OF SAID ANOTHER OF THE COMPONENTS, SAID FEED MATERIAL BEING INTRODUCED INTO SAID CONVERSION ZONE IN PULSES OF SUFFICIENT DURATION SEPARATED BY A SUFFICIENT TIME TO PREVENT INTERMINGLING OF SAID COMPONENTS FORMED BY SAID CONVERSION, AND THEREAFTER RECOVERING SAID COMPONENTS FROM SAID CARRIER, SAID VAPOROUS CARRIER BEING INERT TO SAID SOLID AND TO SAID CHEMICAL CONVERSION.