Method of curing of green briquettes by oxidation

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF CURING GREEN BRIQUETTES CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF CALCINED CHAR DERIVED FROM COAL AND A BITUMINOUS BINDER, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY PASSING A BED OF GREEN BRIQUETTES DOWNWARDLY THROUGH A REACTION ZONE; CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLYING GREEN BRIQUETTES TO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID BED; CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING A STREAM OF AIR HAVING HEAT TRANSFER SOLID PARTICLES DISPERSED THEREIN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE EXIT END OF SAID REACTION ZONE AND FLOWING THE SAID STREAM OF AIR AND HEAT TRANSFER PARTICLES UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID REACTION ZONE COUNTERCURRENT TO THE DOWN-FLOWING BED OF BRIQUETTES WITH THE STREAM OF HEAT TRANSFER SOLIDS ENVELOPING THE BRIQUETTES IN THE DOWN-FLOWING BED, THE RATE OF FLOW OF THE BED OF BRIQUETTES DOWNWARDLY AND THE RATE OF FLOW OF THE STREAM OF AIR HAVING THE HEAT TRANSFER SOLIDS DISPERSED THEREIN UPWARDLY BEING CONTROLLED TO PROVIDE IN THE PORTION OF THE REACTION ZONE WHERE THE GREEN BRIQUETTES ENTERS AT LEAST 10% BY VOLUME OF FREE OXYGEN, ON A SOLIDS FREE BASIS; CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING HEAT TRANSFER SOLIDS FROM AN UPPER PORTION OF SAID REACTION ZONE, COOLING THE SOLIDS THUS WITHDRAWN AND CONTINUOUSLY RETURNING TO THE REACTION ZONE THE COOLED SOLIDS THUS REMOVING THE HEAT OF REACTION AND MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE REACTION ZONE WITHIN THE RANGE OF FROM 400$F. TO 550F.; AND REMOVING CURED BRIQUETTES FRO THE EXIT END OF SAID REACTION ZONE.