Gasification of sulfur-bearing carbonaceous fuels

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CARBON MONOXIDE SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM SULFUR-CONTAINING GASES FROM A SULFUR-CONTAINING SOLID CARBONACEOUS FUEL CONTAINING ASH WHICH COMPRISES REACTING SAID FUEL IN ADMIXTURE WITH LIME WITH AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS IN A REACTION ZONE AT A PRESSURE ABOVE ABOUT 100 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH GAUGE AND A TEMPERATURE ABOVE ABOUT 2,000*F. AND ABOVE THE FUSION POINT OF THE SLAG RESULTING FROM THE LIME AND FROM SAID FUEL, WITHDRAWING THE RESULTING MOLTEN SLAG FROM SAID REACTION ZONE INTO A SLAG QUENCHING ZONE, CONTACTING THE SLAG WITH WATER AT SAID ELEVATED PRESSURE IN THE PRESENCE OF SAID PRODUCT GAS IN SAID SLAG QUENCHING ZONE THEREBY EFFECTING SOLUTION OF LIME IN SAID SLAG, DISCHARGING PRODUCT GAS FROM SAID REACTION ZONE, WITHDRAWING SAID SLAG AND RESULTING LIMEWATER FROM SAID SLAG QUENCHING ZONE, EFFECTING REMOVAL OF HYDROGEN SULFIDE-CONTAINING GAS FROM RESULTING LIMEWATER IN THE ABSENCE OF SAID PRODUCT GAS, AND CONTACTING SAID PRODUCT GAS WITH SAID DESULFURIZED LIME WATER.