Carbon black manufacture

Claim 1

A carbon black furnace comprising a refractory lined heat insulated body having a generally cylindrical bore, said bore comprising in series a generally cylindrical first chamber having a diameter at least about equal to its length forming a precombustion or combustion chamber, means to introduce free oxygen-containing gas and fuel gas into said first chamber generally tangentially to the inner surface thereof to produce a vortex of combustion gases traveling axially in said cylindrical bore, a second chamber comprising a venturi section, the length of which is greater than its throat diameter and the throat diameter of which is substantially less than that of said first chamber, said second chamber being axially aligned and communicating with said first chamber, and injection means to introduce and direct a hydrocarbon feed generally axially along the longitudinal axis of said first chamber, said means being so constructed as to inject a solid jet liquid stream at essentially zero degree exit spray angle along the axis of said first chamber, the outlet end of said means for introducing hydrocarbon feed being positioned between the face of the upstream wall of said first chamber and the entrance to the venturi diverging section, and wherein said combustion gases and said hydrocarbon feed pass through the venturi section in a state of sufficient velocity to flow spirally inward in the combustion chamber and helically through the venturi section.