Fluidized bed drying and oxidizing of carbon black

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING A SIMULATED CHANNEL BLACK FROM WET-PELLETED FURNACE BLACK PELLETS WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: (1) MAINTAINING A FLUIDIZED BED OF SAAID WET PELLETS WITH A STREAM OF HOT NON-OXIDIZING DRYING GAS AT AN INLET TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 1000 TO 1400*F. SO AS TO DRY SAID PELLETS TO A MOISTURE CONTENT BELOW ABOUT 0.5 WEIGHT PERCENT, SAID PELLETS BEING INTRODUCED TO A LOW SECTION OF SIAD BED AND DRY PELLETS BEING WITHDRAWN FROM THE TOP OF SAID BED; (2) MAINTAINING A FLUIDIZED BED OF EFFLUENT PELLETS FROM STEP (1) WITH A STREAM OF AN OXIDIZING GAS CONTAINING O2 IN THE RANGE OF 14 TO 16 VOLUME PERCENT AT A TEMPERAURE IN THE RANGE OF 720 TO 750*F. AND A CONTACT TIME IN THE RANGE OF 55 TO 65 MINUTES SO AS TO SUBSTANTIALLY OXIDIZE SAID FURNACE BLACK, LOWER THE PH, AND INCREASE THE SURFACE ARA THEREOF; (3) MAINTAINING A FLUIDIZED BED OF EFFLUENT PELLETS FROM STEP (2) WITH A STREAM OF NON-OXIDIZING COOLING GAS COMPRISING ESSENTIALLY THE EFFLUENT DRYING GAS OF STEP (1) SO AS TO COOL SAID PELLETS TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENTLY LOW TO PERMIT EXPOSURE TO AIR WITHOUT OXIDATION OF SAID BLACK BUT NOT SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW 300* F. TO AVOID CONDENSATION OF MOISTURE ON THE OXIDIZED PELLETS; AND (4) RECOVERING THE COOLED PELLETS.